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P130 – A visit to the revolutionary centre in Plauen

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GERMANY CALLING. In this latest instalment of Germany Calling, we take a trip to the P130 building, Der III. Weg’s base of operations in the town of Plauen, in eastern Germany.

The P130 building in Plauen, GermanyThe area of Vogtland in east-central Germany is very varied, offering a rich history, beautiful landscapes and, since 2019, a new place to meet for all Germans who want to remain German. Situated in the heart of Vogtland is the town of Plauen, where you’ll find the revolutionary centre known as P130, a local base of operations for the political party Der III. Weg. Multiple attacks by left-wing extremists, lies by the press and media, and anti-German protests have failed to chase the nationalists out of Plauen, and today Der III. Weg is a strong feature in the town’s Haselbrunn district. This has been reflected in local elections, with the party gaining up to 11.96 % of the vote at town polling stations. One of the main reasons for the organization’s popularity is the social engagement it offers Germans who have been repeatedly betrayed by the established political parties. What is the key to the success of the political party Der III. Weg in Plauen? We explore the answer below.

Plauen, the city of embroidery – Destroyed by two democratic regimes

From its location in the rolling Saxony hills, Plauen has been witness to changeable times over the course of its history. The town was in its prime in the 19th century, when it served as a production centre for textiles and “Plauen lace”, and the palaces and beautifully decorated house façades from this period can still be seen today. During the communist era in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Plauen suffered from a recession. The leaders of the GDR didn’t trust the people of Plauen and didn’t treat Plauen as a “flagship city” like Leipzig or Berlin. Plauen’s residents soon started to rebel against the GDR regime, with the first large-scale demonstrations against the GDR dictatorship taking place in the town. After the Berlin Wall fell, the people of Plauen were content, but they quickly realized they would not be among the beneficiaries of the promised economic boom. A lot of people lost their jobs and had to move away from their homes. The population decreased more and more in the following decades.

The effects of this depopulation can still be seen today in the many empty houses, which give an idea of how many people lived there in the past. Those who stayed have been routinely betrayed by the establishment politicians. Clubs have had to close, there are no free-time activities for young people, and playgrounds are in bad condition. Parents have to pay high fees for the kindergarten because local politicians claim they’re low on funds – but they don’t have any problems paying for luxury homes for illegal immigrants, or increasing the wages of representatives in the town parliament.

The P130 building in Plauen, Germany
The P130 is well known in Plauen

In the Haselbrunn district, you can see all of these problems compressed into a small space: streets in bad condition, as they were in the GDR era; workers’ flats boarded up; and people who are not represented by the politics in Dresden (the capital city of Saxony) or Berlin. But there are also people who haven’t forgotten they were fighting against a regime that didn’t care about them at all. Here you can find people who didn’t lose their sense of pride – people who are not willing to lose their homeland without a fight.

Our people first – Der III. Weg in Plauen

At number 130 Pausaer Street, green flags with the “III.” symbol can be seen fluttering in the breeze. Here you will find the revolutionary centre “P130”, named after the postal address of the building. On its façade hangs a banner with a message that sums up many people’s thoughts today: “The system is a madhouse!”. On the same wall, paint stains from a left-wing attack are also visible – the result of vandalism by anti-German extremists in October 2020, just before a nationalist demonstration in Berlin. However, the people in Haselbrunn did not support this attack. Tony Gentsch, who is a representative in the town parliament for Der III. Weg, reports that there is tremendous solidarity for the organization from the people in the area.

A lecture at the P130 building in Plauen, Germany
Lecture event at P130

For Gentsch and his activists in Vogtland, P130 is like a second home. There they prepare actions, organize events and enjoy activities like table football and dart tournaments. It’s not just nationalists who are welcome, but also every German needing help or looking for somebody to talk to. In the entrance hall there is a large clothes closet, where Germans can come and get clothes for free. This offer is well known across the whole town. The people who go there include single mums who don’t have enough money for winter clothes for their kids, and pensioners who are very thankful for new shoes. More well-to-do people also visit to donate high-quality clothes. The traitors in the establishment political parties just give the people lip service about “social justice” – Der III. Weg does what the traitors only talk about.

But the clothes closet isn’t the only thing available to the people of Plauen. Every week there is a women’s breakfast, where ladies can enjoy chatting about various subjects over coffee and fresh rolls. There is self-defence training for children, private tutoring for pupils, guitar lessons, food for socially disadvantaged citizens, a library, and much more. In the “Youth” working group, there are young people who are searching for an alternative to the modern sick society. Plauen is close to the border with the Czech Republic and has big problems with drugs. Many young people have suffered from drug issues and from a missing perspective in life. As such, a lot of parents are happy for their children to have the chance to follow another path.

Children learning self-defence at Der Dritte Weg's office in Plauen
Children enjoy self-defence training in Plauen

P130 is also the base for the political and cultural fight. Seminars and lectures by the internal working group Feder und Schwert (Pen and Sword) take place here, as well as additional political and social events. This is all organized by the activists in Vogtland, who do all the work voluntarily. They even have a special T-shirt with a slogan that sums up their beliefs: “In you must burn what you want to kindle in others!”. This locality is not only a place where people can meet and attend events – it’s also aesthetically pleasing and serves a practical purpose. Tony Gentsch runs his office at a location where citizens can visit and talk to him. The people of Plauen can go there regularly to relate their problems so Gentsch can bring these topics up in local parliaments as their representative. The most important issue for the national-revolutionary movement is to offer fixed meeting points. This is the basis for our upcoming work. In Plauen, this step has already been accomplished.

Read more: Germany Calling series