Residents of Wunsiedel, Bavaria, organised a stunt to undermine an annual neo‑Nazi march by pledging €10 for every metre walked by each marcher, directing funds to EXIT Deutschland. Roughly 200 participants walked the route, and the campaign raised more than $12,000 for de‑radicalization programmes. The effort, run by Right Against Right, emphasised wit and community mobilisation over confrontation and inspired similar actions elsewhere.
How a Small Bavarian Town Turned a Neo‑Nazi March Into a Charity Drive — Raising Thousands for De‑radicalization
Neo-Nazis marching in a parade
In Wunsiedel, a small town in Bavaria, residents answered an annual neo‑Nazi demonstration with a clever, non‑violent tactic: they quietly sponsored each marcher so that every metre walked generated donations to organisations that help people leave extremist movements.
Turning the March Into Fundraising
The civic group Right Against Right organised the effort and organised pledges of €10 for every metre walked by each marcher, with proceeds directed to EXIT Deutschland, a programme that supports people leaving extremist groups. The scheme was publicised locally and attracted broad community support.
Right Against Right: "They run and run and run! Almost every week, neo‑Nazis take to the streets to demonstrate. If you can't stop them, you can at least make them run for something worthwhile... For every metre run, fixed donations from companies and citizens go to EXIT Germany or projects working against neo‑Nazis."
The town's annual demonstrations stem from Wunsiedel's historical link to Rudolf Hess, who had been buried there until his grave was exhumed and removed in 2011. Despite the exhumation, the site continued to attract far‑right demonstrators.
NRM Finnish independence day demonstration, 2018. Photo credit:Wikicommons
What Happened During the March
Reports vary slightly on the number of participants, with most accounts citing roughly 200 marchers and some placing the figure closer to 250. Marchers only became aware of the sponsorship plan after the procession began; by then it was impractical to abandon the route. Faced with the choice of stopping or continuing and indirectly funding anti‑extremism work, they carried on — and the community raised more than $12,000 for EXIT Deutschland and related de‑radicalization efforts.
Legacy and Replication
The Wunsiedel tactic received international attention and was replicated elsewhere. In 2017 the Jewish Bar Association of San Francisco launched an "Adopt A Nazi (Not Really)" GoFundMe in response to a local neo‑Nazi march, which ultimately raised over $150,000. Observers noted that the Wunsiedel approach combined humour, community mobilisation, and non‑escalatory resistance.
Why It Mattered
Rather than amplifying the demonstrators through confrontation, Wunsiedel residents transformed the march into a practical rebuke: each step the marchers took translated into resources to help people leave extremist movements. The episode highlights how civic creativity and broad public participation can turn a provocative event into a force for positive change.
Originally published 12 years ago; updated.
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