On the chest, on the back of the head, under the arms: the traces of the past can be found everywhere on their bodies, stabbed deep into the skin. When neo-Nazis exit the right-wing extremist scene, many face a practical and often shameful question: What to do with the right-wing radical tattoos? Swastikas, runes and SS skulls can remind you of the obsession with a brown ideology for life.
The Berlin photographer Jakob Ganslmeier has accompanied dropouts from the neo-Nazi scene for many years and documented how they had their tattoos removed or changed. His pictures show how long the process of coping with the past is and what challenges the reorientation brings for those affected. The photos show pale bodies, forbidden symbols, uncertainty and sometimes determination.
The Exit Germany organization established contact with the former neo-Nazis. For 19 years she has been helping people get out of the extreme right-wing scene and develop new perspectives.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Ganslmeier, how did you get the idea to photograph the removal of neo-Nazi tattoos?
Ganslmeier: I was in contact with Exit Germany and wanted to know: Who are the people who are getting out of the extreme right-wing scene? How can such a process work? We quickly came to the conclusion that removing or changing the tattoos are significant steps. Because both the tattoo when entering the scene and the removal or over-tattooing when exiting are commitments to your own personality.
SPIEGEL: How many people have you accompanied and for how long?
Ganslmeier: I accompanied more than ten dropouts. I met one of them over and over for almost three years. Tattoos are removed using a laser treatment that spans multiple sessions. There are long breaks between sessions. It was important for me to show how, metaphorically speaking, the colors of the tattoos gradually fade, how the tattoos become more and more transparent and slowly disappear.
SPIEGEL: What motifs did these tattoos show?
Ganslmeier: They should often clarify the affiliation to a very specific right-wing extremist group. The motifs ranged from SS skulls to the classic swastika to ancient Germanic runes.
SPIEGEL: What did you learn about the motives of the dropouts?
Ganslmeier: You are very individual. Very few people suddenly think in the morning after waking up: Everything I do here is wrong. The process usually runs in many small steps. For some, the birth of a child was an opportunity to question their own actions and to reorient themselves. Others are simply dissatisfied with the direction in which their scene is developing. Contact with the outside world, for example with the family, always has an important influence.
SPIEGEL: What does it mean for those affected if the right-wing extremist symbols are removed from their skin?
Ganslmeier: For most, it feels like they are finally getting rid of a foreign body on their skin. You want to distance yourself from the hatred that is communicated with the motives. Many compare the removed tattoo to a scar that reminds them of something they can never forget and also do not want to forget because they want to learn from what happened. Removing the tattoo is also food for thought: what does the exit mean for me? Many are looking for new tattoo motifs, which in turn symbolize who they are or want to be today.
SPIEGEL: It doesn't seem obvious to be photographed for a photo project when you get out. How hard was it to find participants?
Ganslmeier: The search for participants was actually not easy because dropouts are extremely at risk. But because I worked with Exit Germany, I was given an advance of trust. Some of the protagonists deliberately wanted to show other people that it is worth leaving. They say that a story like theirs cannot be repeated.
