More than a dozen schools in the western German city of Duisburg remained closed on Monday following a series of far-right threats that have sparked concern across the region.
According to local authorities, 15 secondary schools were shut down, impacting approximately 17,980 students. “Signs reading” School Closed were visible across several of the affected institutions on Monday morning, as confirmed by reporters on the ground.
The closures were prompted by threatening messages containing far-right extremist content sent to the Gesamtschule Duisburg-Mitte school administration late last week. Police revealed that the first note, received on Friday, included threats to carry out criminal acts on school grounds starting Monday. A second message followed on Sunday, expanding the threats to include multiple other schools in the area.
Although the state security division of Duisburg police believes the threats may be a hoax, authorities have taken the situation seriously, implementing safety measures and shifting the affected schools to distance learning as a precaution.
The identity of the sender is currently unknown, police said in a statement, adding that investigations are ongoing.
The incident has raised concerns about rising far-right rhetoric and threats in educational spaces. Parents, students, and school staff across Duisburg are being urged to remain alert but calm, as police continue their probe into the origin of the threats.
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