A Spiegel online article Tuesday points to a sharp increase in far-right crime in Germany. According to government figures just released it rose by 16% in 2008.

Der Spiegel:

The number of far-right crimes recorded in Germany increased by around 16 percent last year to 20,422, with violent crimes up 5.6 percent at 1,113 cases, including two killings, according to figures released by the German government this week.

Far-right crimes accounted for two thirds of all "politically motivated" crimes last year, which reached 31,801 -- an increase of 11.4 percent and the highest level since 2001.

The murders occurred in east Germany. A homeless man was killed in an attack. In the other case, a young art student was kicked to death after a political argument erupted in a disco.

On January 1, 2008, police forces in Germany adopted a common standard for recording "propaganda offenses". These offenses include everything from displaying banned Nazi symbols to publishing pro-Nazi materials.

The spike in the crime figures also relates to an increase in the number of German youths who have either joined far-right groups or actively identify with the extremist cause. The Dresden "March of Mourning" this year attracted more far-right activists and sympathizers than ever before. Estimates put the number as high as 8,000.

Link here for pics of the Dresden event.

German Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, said he found the rise in politically motivated crime 'disturbing' and vowed that the government would take necessary measures to address extremism, racism and intolerance.