Many voices—this time, even on the political left—in politics and journalism sharply criticized the police search of author and scholar Norbert Bolz’s home on Thursday. Ricarda Lang, former leader of Germany’s Green Party, emphasized that such raids are “absurd” and that this broad interpretation of criminal law in matters of opinion “undermines public trust in the rule of law.”
On Thursday, October 23rd, a police search was conducted at the Berlin home of the renowned author and communications expert, 72-year-old Professor Norbert Bolz. Four police officers arrived on the scene on behalf of the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office. The operation was triggered by a report from the state-run Hessen gegen Hetze (Hessen against hate) monitoring center, which had forwarded Bolz’s post to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA).
In recent years, this unit has developed an extensive system processing thousands of reports of online ‘hate speech.’ These reports tend to target right-wing activities and have already led to several major serious attacks on freedom of expression.
In January 2024, Norbert Bolz replied to a tweet by the left-leaning newspaper taz, which had posted a text about resistance against the right-wing populist Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and its Thuringia leader Björn Höcke with the line: “Germany awakens.” However, Bolz responded with, “A good translation of woke: Germany, awake.” The difference was just one letter in German, but it caused a huge storm. “Germany, awake” was a slogan historically used by the Nazis.
Bolz later explained that his response was meant ironically—a play on words intended to point out the meaning of the English term “woke” (“awakened”). In its imperative form, he noted, this becomes “awake!”
The sad, despotic reality that I have described for years has now caught up with me—it is horrifying.
Ralf Fücks, a former Green Party politician, also voiced his outrage on X:
This is an absolute abuse of justice and an attack on freedom of speech.
Fabio De Masi, a member of the European Parliament representing the left-wing populist Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht party (BSW), likewise did not mince words. He called the house search “scandalous, utterly disproportionate, and reminiscent of an increasingly authoritarian climate of intimidation.” The politician stressed that “those on the left must raise their voices against such authoritarian tendencies.”
The taz newspaper also expressed its disapproval:
The taz is surprised by the prosecutor’s action and considers the search over such a tweet disproportionate.
Former Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann, in a statement to Bild magazine, referred to the Bolz case that prompted the search:
This may be distasteful, but it is not a crime. As a lawyer, I consider it unlawful to intrude upon the constitutionally protected sphere of a private home on this basis.
