Two German Teachers Forced To Leave Town

BURG, Germany (AP) — Two teachers in eastern Germany say they spent months unsuccessfully trying to counter the far-right atmosphere at their small town high school. Hoping to sound a wake-up call, they wrote a public letter that described students greeting each other with the Nazi salute, scratching swastikas on their desks and threatening to beat up immigrant classmates. The letter produced a backlash and threats instead. Disheartened by what they say was a lack of support from fellow educators, Laura Nickel and Max Teske decided to leave Mina Witkojc School in Burg. Their experience has aroused fears in Berlin that the far right has gained a greater foothold in parts of the former East Germany than many thought.