Lonate Pozzolo, Italy, November 22, 2023 — A chilling gathering of Europe’s most notorious neo-Nazis unfolded near Milan earlier this month, complete with Hitler salutes and chants of “Sieg Heil,” according to covert recordings obtained by researchers. The event underscores the enduring threat of far-right extremism and reveals the surprisingly central role played by a Swiss branch of the Hammerskins.
Secret Meeting Reveals Hammerskins’ European Network
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The Hammerskins, a violent white supremacist group, held a weekend-long strategy meeting and concert in Italy, drawing participants from across Europe, including at least a dozen from Switzerland.
- The Hammerskins leadership convened a “European Officers Meeting” in Lombardy on November 15th.
- Swiss members were instrumental in organizing the event, providing security and staffing a sales stand.
- The German research platform Exif documented the gathering with hidden recordings and images.
- A recent German court decision overturned a ban on the Hammerskins, citing procedural issues.
The German research platform Exif documented the right-wing extremist brotherhood’s concert with hidden recordings, offering a rare glimpse into the secretive organization. Participants hailed from across Europe, with at least a dozen originating from Switzerland.
Insight into a Closed Network
The concert took place on the evening of November 15th in Lonate Pozzolo, Lombardy. The images provide a rare insight into the secretive Hammerskins network. The organization propagates right-wing terror; its members fight for the “supremacy of the white race”. Many of them have already committed serious acts of violence.
The concert marked the end of a secretly organized weekend. The Hammerskins leadership had already gathered at midday for an internal strategy meeting, the so-called “European Officers Meeting”. There were neo-Nazi cadres from Italy, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland – and Switzerland.
The Swiss played a central role at the weekend north of Milan. They were significantly involved in the organization. As the pictures from Exif show, the banner of the Swiss Hammerskin offshoot hung on the concert stage. Two crossed hammers over a gear. Three Swiss took on security tasks, and two women from Switzerland looked after a sales stand.
Swiss Offshoot Plays a Key Role
Among those in attendance was TW*, an over-50-year-old from Central Switzerland who has been a Hammerskins member for more than 20 years. The group is described by members as a “covenant of life.”
The significant involvement of Swiss members is no accident. The Swiss “Chapter” – the Hammerskins’ term for regional groups – has been a pivotal force within the international network for decades.
Founded on August 17, 1990 – the third anniversary of Rudolf Hess’s death – the Swiss branch was the first European chapter established and is considered a “mother chapter.” From this base, the organization, which originated in the United States, expanded its reach across Europe.
Violent History in Switzerland
The Hammerskins first gained notoriety in Switzerland in 1995 during a march with a mob at the “Blocher Demo” in Zurich’s Niederdorf, where they attacked counter-demonstrators from the left-wing radical scene.
In the years that followed, the Swiss Hammerskins were implicated in numerous violent attacks targeting leftists and migrants. Members of the Swiss scene also maintained close ties to individuals connected to the National Socialist Underground (NSU), the right-wing extremist terrorist cell responsible for the murders of nine migrants and a policewoman in Germany between 2000 and 2007.
In 2016, the Hammerskins participated in organizing a concert in Unterwasser SG, which drew nearly 6,000 right-wing extremists – the largest neo-Nazi event in Swiss history.
Germany Overturns Ban
In recent years, the organization’s public profile has diminished, but its members remain active behind the scenes.
The network recently achieved a legal victory in Germany: a week ago, the Federal Administrative Court lifted the ban on the Hammerskins. Former Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) had banned the association and its regional branches in 2023.
The court’s decision was based on procedural grounds, not a substantive evaluation of the group’s ideology. It determined that insufficient evidence had been presented to demonstrate a nationwide, centralized leadership structure. A ban can only be imposed if such a structure exists; otherwise, individual regional chapters fall under the jurisdiction of the respective federal states.
* Name known
