Discrimination | Advisory Association: "We clearly feel the brutalization"

Discrimination isn't often practiced as openly as in the job posting of a roofer in Sebnitz . He was looking for an apprentice, the craftsman announced in the small Saxon town's official gazette this spring, but "hooky noses, bimbos, or zeppelin carriers" were unwelcome. The first two terms are derogatory terms for Jews and people with dark skin.

"It rarely happens so clearly," says Jan Diebold, a member of the management team at the Saxony Anti-Discrimination Office (ADB). When it comes to jobs or apprenticeships, more subtle forms of discrimination are more common. "They say, 'We need someone who speaks German like a native speaker,' even though that's not required for the job," he says. "This can also lead to racist exclusion."

The ADB Saxony provides advice in such cases. The association was founded in 2005, shortly before the Equal Treatment Act came into force; its 20th anniversary will be celebrated with a celebratory event in October. People who are discriminated against due to a disability, their sexual orientation, gender, religion, but above all, for racist reasons come to the ADB's counseling centers in Leipzig, Dresden, and Chemnitz. "This affects 50 percent of cases," says Diebold. Those affected include Black Germans, but refugees are also very frequently affected.

Cases of discrimination are described from all areas of life. "Working life is a big area," says Diebold. Immigrants are excluded from job openings, receive lower salaries, or are overlooked for promotions. Finding housing is also often very difficult for migrants. In 2017, the ADB demonstrated in a survey, later published in the form of a brochure , that landlords often react negatively to foreign-sounding names. Diebold and his colleagues are also increasingly confronted with cases of discriminatory bullying in schools: "This is increasing rapidly."

"They say, 'We need someone who speaks German like a native speaker,' even though that's not required for the job."

Jan Diebold Anti-Discrimination Office Saxony

If the health of affected children suffers as a result of exclusion, the ADB sometimes advises them to change schools. Actually, says Diebold, "our goal is not to make those affected leave, but rather to stop the discrimination." In some cases, simply talking to the other side can help: "Some people discriminate unconsciously and unintentionally." In other cases, it is necessary to refer to the law and the sanctions it provides, or even file a lawsuit. The ADB, which is funded by the Free State of Bavaria and whose advice is free, can assume official "guardianship" for those affected in court.

The chances of successfully defending yourself against discrimination vary greatly depending on the area of ​​life, says Diebold. There is comparatively high legal protection in the workplace. The chances are significantly worse on the housing market. While proven cases of discrimination can be punished with compensation payments, "access to housing cannot be obtained." The biggest "gaps in protection" occur when government agencies are involved: schools, authorities, and the police . "The General Equal Treatment Act (GA) provides no legal protection in this regard," says Diebold. Only Berlin has changed this by passing a state law . In Saxony, experts called for a state law and an ombudsman's office in June 2024. The coalition of the CDU and SPD, in office since fall 2024, has only vaguely promised to "further promote anti-discrimination work."

There's a lot to do, because cases of discrimination are increasing. At the ADB in Saxony, the number of cases is steadily rising; in 2024, there were 581. This may be partly due to more people becoming aware of the counseling services. But at the same time, discrimination is becoming more and more openly practiced , says Diebold, and those responsible for it often no longer make an effort to conceal their racist attitudes and resort to legal action. "There's a stronger aggressive attitude," says Diebold. People come to the ADB who say they have felt discrimination and exclusion for years, but the extent of it has now become unbearable: "We sense the brutalization of the social climate and the shift to the right in our daily work."