Der Flügel
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The Wing Der Flügel | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Björn Höcke |
| Founders | Björn Höcke, André Poggenburg |
| Founded | 14 March 2015 |
| Dissolved | 30 April 2020 |
| Membership | 7,000 |
| Ideology | |
| Political position | Far-right |
| National affiliation | Alternative for Germany |
| Colors |
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| Website | |
| www.derfluegel.de (archived) | |
Der Flügel (German: [deːɐ̯ fly:gel]; lit. 'The Wing') was a far-right ultra-nationalist[1] faction of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. It was founded by Björn Höcke in the state of Thuringia on 14 March 2015.[3][4] It was reportedly the most radical faction of AfD, and Germany's domestic intelligence agency placed it under "formal surveillance" due to its alleged right-wing extremism in 2020.[4] It ceased to exist the same year, after the executive committee of the AfD voted to dissolve it on 30 April 2020.[5][3] After its dissolution, its founder and leader Höcke made a video on Facebook confirming that it no longer exists.[6]
AfD members in the eastern states of the former East Germany adopted a hard right-wing ideology primarily focused against Islamic migrants to act as a counterweight to the liberal wing of Bernd Lucke which sought the party to focus on Atlanticism.[2] Der Flügel was formally founded in 2015 by Björn Höcke, party leader in Thurngia, and André Poggenburg, party leader in Saxony-Anhalt and adopted a Volkish line, calling for the AfD to be the guardians of the Volksgemeinschaft.[2]