- Legal Basis
- § 264 StGB
- Sentencing Range
- Imprisonment from three months to five years
- Summary
- Inciting hatred or calling for violence against segments of the population or individuals based on group membership
Incitement to Hatred (Section 130 StGB)
Incitement to hatred (Volksverhetzung) is one of the most politically significant criminal offences in German law. The provision protects public peace and the human dignity of certain population groups against incitement to hatred and calls for violence. In the age of social media, the offence has gained considerable practical importance, as inflammatory statements on the internet reach a broad audience. Expats in Germany should be particularly aware that German law takes a significantly stricter approach to hate speech than many common-law jurisdictions.
Legal Basis
Section 130(1) of the German Criminal Code (StGB) provides (in excerpt):
“Anyone who, in a manner capable of disturbing public peace, incites hatred against a national, racial, religious, or ethnic group, against segments of the population, or against an individual on account of their membership of such a group or segment, calls for violence or arbitrary measures, or attacks the human dignity of others by insulting, maliciously denigrating, or defaming such a group, segments of the population, or an individual on account of their membership of such a group or segment, shall be punished with imprisonment from three months to five years.”
Section 130(3) StGB criminalises the public approval, denial, or gross trivialisation of acts of genocide committed under National Socialist rule.
Elements of the Offence
Protected groups: National, racial, religious, or ethnically defined groups and segments of the population. Individuals can also be victims if attacked on account of their membership of such a group.
Inciting hatred: Influencing others’ emotions with the aim of creating or reinforcing a heightened hostile attitude towards the affected group that goes beyond mere rejection.
Calling for violence or arbitrary measures: An influence going beyond mere advocacy, aimed at arousing willingness for concrete attacks.
Attack on human dignity: Insulting, maliciously denigrating, or defaming in a way that denies the affected persons their claim to respect as human beings.
Capability of disturbing public peace: The statement must be capable of disturbing public peace. The abstract capability is decisive, not whether a disturbance actually occurred.
Holocaust denial (Section 130(3) StGB): Publicly approving, denying, or grossly trivialising the genocide committed under National Socialist rule is punished with imprisonment of up to five years or a fine.
Typical Methods of Commission
Common forms include hate posts on social media targeting specific population groups, distributing inflammatory writings or images (including digitally), Holocaust denial or trivialisation in public statements, inflammatory speeches at assemblies or demonstrations, distributing symbols of unconstitutional organisations in connection with incitement, and comments in online forums that incite hatred.
Sentencing Range
Incitement to hatred under Section 130(1) StGB carries imprisonment from three months to five years. Distributing inflammatory material (Section 130(2) StGB) carries up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine. Holocaust denial (Section 130(3) StGB) carries up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine. Publicly approving, glorifying, or justifying National Socialist rule (Section 130(4) StGB) carries up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine.
Typical Defence Strategies
The defence frequently focuses on interpreting the statement in context. The distinction between criminal incitement to hatred and statements still protected by freedom of expression is often difficult in practice. Provocative, exaggerated, or satirical statements may in individual cases still be permissible. Whether the statement was made “publicly” can also be relevant — private conversations are generally not covered. For online statements, attribution to the accused must be examined: who actually authored the post? Reliance on the right to freedom of expression (Article 5 of the Basic Law) represents an important defence approach that requires careful balancing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was ist ein Subsidy Fraud?
Strafbar ist das Machen unrichtiger oder unvollständiger Angaben über subventionserhebliche Tatsachen gegenüber dem Subventionsgeber (§ 264 StGB), etwa bei Förder- oder Coronahilfen.
Worin liegt der Unterschied zum Fraud?
Anders als beim Fraud sind weder ein Vermögensschaden noch eine Bereicherungsabsicht erforderlich; bereits unrichtige Angaben genügen. Auch leichtfertiges Handeln ist strafbar.
Welche Strafe droht?
Freiheitsstrafe bis zu fünf Jahren oder Geldstrafe, in besonders schweren Fällen mehr.
Muss ich zur Polizei, wenn ich als Beschuldigter vorgeladen werde?
Einer rein polizeilichen Police Summons müssen Sie als Beschuldigter nicht folgen, und Sie sind nie verpflichtet, sich zur Sache zu äußern. Einer Ladung der Staatsanwaltschaft oder des Gerichts sollten Sie folgen – schweigen dürfen Sie aber auch dort.
Sollte ich vor der Akteneinsicht aussagen?
In aller Regel nein. Ohne Kenntnis der Ermittlungsakte lässt sich nicht beurteilen, welche Beweise vorliegen. Eine Einlassung sollte erst nach Akteneinsicht und in Abstimmung mit dem Verteidiger erfolgen.
Kann ein Strafverfahren eingestellt werden?
Ja. Je nach Beweislage kommen eine Einstellung mangels hinreichenden Tatverdachts (§ 170 II StPO), wegen Geringfügigkeit (§ 153 StPO) oder gegen Auflagen (§ 153a StPO) in Betracht. Nach Akteneinsicht prüfen wir die Möglichkeiten.
Summons or accusation of Subsidy Fraud? What matters now
Make no statement to the police at first
As an accused person you are never obliged to comment on the allegation. Anything said to the police can be used against you. Provide statements only through your defense attorney and only after reviewing the case file.
File inspection comes first
A sound defense against the allegation of Subsidy Fraud requires knowledge of the investigation file. Only once the available evidence is clear can we decide whether a statement is advisable or whether remaining silent is the better strategy.
Possible discontinuation of proceedings
Not every case ends in a main hearing. Depending on the evidence and any prior record, the proceedings may be discontinued for lack of sufficient suspicion (§ 170 II StPO), for triviality (§ 153 StPO) or subject to conditions (§ 153a StPO). Often a penalty order without a public trial can be achieved.
Victim-offender mediation and restitution
In many cases, victim-offender mediation or making good the damage (§ 46a StGB) can significantly reduce the sentence or enable a discontinuation. Whether this is advisable in your case is something we assess based on the file.
What we do after reviewing the file
We examine the evidence for reliability and admissibility, look for procedural errors, develop the defense strategy, negotiate with the public prosecutor on a discontinuation and represent you, if necessary, in the main hearing before the District Court or Regional Court of Bonn.
Available 24/7: +49 228 504 463 36
This information does not replace a review of the individual case. In criminal proceedings, the defence strategy depends substantially on the case file, the specific allegation and the evidence.
Why BAFTEH Strafverteidigung?
- Direct contact with your defense attorney – no intermediaries
- Available around the clock, including nights and weekends
- Fast file inspection and a clear defense strategy
- Focused exclusively on criminal law
- Defense in Bonn, Cologne and the entire region
Written by attorney Philip Bafteh, criminal defense lawyer in Bonn. Philip Bafteh publishes regularly on criminal and commercial law and defends accused persons in investigative and trial proceedings.
More about the attorney →Last updated: Juni 2026
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