Civil service trainees at a learning centre in Hesse have been accused of singing a racist song, which included the lyrics “Ausländer raus” and “Deutschland den Deutschen”, at a study centre disco.

German civil service trainees accused of singing racist song at student party

Students training to work at the Finanzamt as judicial officers in Hesse have been accused of singing a racist song at a party in the Rothenburger Study Centre for Financial Administration and Justice.

According to students who were present at the party in January, and later made complaints to HR departments at the school and contacted media outlets, the song included the lyrics “Ausländer raus, Deutschland den Deutschen” (“Foreigners out, Germany for the Germans”). 

A remix of a song by well-known Italian DJ Gigi D'Agostino, this is the second time in recent months that there have been reports or footage of the song being played at a disco. In November 2023, a video emerged of the song playing at another disco in Kalbach, Fulda.

Police begin investigation into Rothenburger Studienzentrum party

The public prosecutor's office in Hesse has announced that it has opened an investigation on suspicion of “incitement of hatred” at the party, which was attended by around 100 students.

“Anyone who demonstrably behaves in a racist manner should have no place in our administration,” Finance Minister for Hesse Alexander Lorz (CDU) wrote in a press release. If the investigation finds the students who took part in the chanting guilty, they will be forbidden from continuing their studies.

Speaking in parliament following the investigation announcement, parliamentary secretary Miriam Dahlke (Greens) said that people training to become civil servants must “guarantee that they firmly stand for our free democratic basic order at all times”.

Thumb image credit: Tobias Arhelger / Shutterstock.com