The Black Jackets (Schwarze Jacken): German Far-Right Paramilitary Group

The **Schwarze Jacken** (“Black Jackets”), originally **Schwarze Sheriffs** (“Black Sheriffs”), were a **West German neo-Nazi paramilitary group** active from the late 1950s.

Origins

• Founded **1959** in West Berlin by former Hitler Youth / Wehrmacht members.
• Name: black leather jackets, quasi-military discipline.
• Leader: **Heinz “Heiner” Kühne** (later NPD official).

Ideology & Actions

• Ultra-nationalist, antisemitic, anti-communist, anti-democratic.
• Street violence: attacks on Jews, leftists, students, foreigners.
• Provocation at demonstrations, synagogue vandalism.
• Training: boxing, weapons, paramilitary drills.

Significance

• **First organized neo-Nazi group** in postwar West Germany.
• Precursor to: **NPD** (party), **Wehrsportgruppe Hoffmann** (1970s), **NSU** (2000s terror cell).
• Banned **1960** (Berlin), **1962** (federal) under Association Law.
• Members dispersed into fringe parties, skinhead scenes, intelligence surveillance.

Legacy

Template for far-right street politics: uniforms, martyrdom, violence as propaganda. The “Black Jacket” aesthetic persists in European extremist subcultures.

Not a biker club. Not a fashion statement. A banned terrorist precursor.