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Court: okay to sweep neo-Nazi from public job

A neo-Nazi chimney sweep heard on Wednesday that the state had the right to sack him because of his extreme political views, and association with a still-legal far-right political party.

Published: 7 November 2012 16:52 CET

Court: okay to sweep neo-Nazi from public job

Photo: DPA

Lutz Battke appealed after he was dismissed as district master chimney sweep – a role which includes making public appearances – on the basis of his work for the far-right NPD party and active participation at right-wing rallies.

But the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig told the 54-year-old on Wednesday that the state administrator in Saxony-Anhalt had the right to dismiss him from his public post because of his political activity.

Battke regularly attends memorial services for the assassins who murdered Jewish industrialist Walther Rathenau in 1922, and serves on Burgenland district council and the small town of Laucha in central Germany for the NPD.

His appeal was accepted by the lower courts on the grounds that his political activities bore no relation to his work.

But the Federal Administrative Court rejected this argument, ruling it was doubtful Battke could be relied upon to observe the German legal system and support the constitution. This was important in his position as district master chimney sweep, which the judges stressed included public duties.

The court said Battke’s actions made clear he endorsed the most serious and anti-Semitic crimes to the point where he felt the perpetrators worthy of veneration. The court found this compromised his position as part of the administration and his obligation to protect the rights of his customers.

He lost his position as trainer of the youth football team in Laucha in 2010 due to his political activities.

DAPD/The Local/jlb

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Which Bavaria-based companies regularly hire English speakers?

Munich ranks third in German cities with the highest total GDP, behind Berlin and Hamburg, but in terms of GDP per capita, it’s higher than both of them.

It also consistently ranks high, often highest, in terms of average household income.

As of 2023, nine of the 40 companies listed on DAX, Germany’s stock index, were based in Bavaria. Seven of those are based specifically in Munich.

While Frankfurt is commonly known to be Germany’s business capital, Munich can claim the title of Germany’s insurance capital, which is saying something, as Germany is home to some of the largest insurance firms in the world, like Allianz.

Beyond the state’s capital city, a number of international companies are based elsewhere in Bavaria, particularly in the Franken region, near Nuremberg.

Which companies actively hire English speakers?

Bavaria, and Munich in particular, is home to a number of companies at the forefront of international business. But the state is known for its traditional, sometimes conservative, culture, which affects its business culture as well.

Whereas companies embracing English as their primary business language are easy to find in Berlin, the practice is less common in the south. That said, there are some notable exceptions.

Sportswear giants, Adidas and Puma, both have their headquarters near Nuremberg in Herzogenaurach, and regularly recruit English speaking international talent.

“As an international company, our teams reflect the rich diversity of our consumers and communities,” Jon Greenhalgh, Senior Manager Media Relations for Adidas told The Local. “Fostering a culture of inclusion where we value and leverage differences, ensures that we can authentically engage with our employees and truly connect with our consumers.”

He added that around 40 per cent of Adidas’ Germany-based employees are foreign nationals, from over 100 different countries.

Siemens and BMW rank among Bavaria’s top employers, and are also known to hire their fair share of foreigners.

“In Germany, we recently had around 2,000 open positions,” Konstanze Somborn told The Local on behalf of Siemens AG.

He added that Siemens operates in 190 countries. “That is why we value international teams very much…English as a common language is very usual.”

READ ALSO: ‘Which German companies want to hire foreigners?’

Similarly, BMW hires workers from a variety of backgrounds.

“Every year, we hire lots of internationals and welcome them to the BMW Group,” Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl, a press spokesman for BMW Group told The Local.

But not all of these positions are available to non-German speakers.

Ketterl added that BMW’s working language is German in the country, even though, “English is an indispensable entry requirement as the second corporate language in many areas of the company.”

Check job boards and follow best practices

If it’s your first time applying for jobs in Germany, make sure to change your resume to the German format, even for English positions.

While Germany is home to its own job boards, like Xing, LinkedIn is probably the best place to start. In addition to searching for positions based in your preferred location, you can check relevant groups, like Munich Startups, to broaden your horizons.

The English Jobs in Germany website is also a good resource to start with.

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