It is not the first time that the Bavarian YouTuber “Drachenlord” has to answer in court.
But this time he probably wants to change a few things in his life.
Nuremberg - The defendant just keeps looking straight ahead when the cameras are aimed at him. As is often the case in court, he does not hold a folder in front of his face to hide it. After all, thousands know what he looks like: tall, overweight and with a preference for T-shirts from metal bands. The YouTuber "Drachenlord" * is followed by more than 150,000 people. But not many of them because they think it's particularly great. They are so-called haters - the opposite of fans.
The "Dragon Lord" and his haters have been arguing for years - and not just on the Internet for a long time.
Onlookers regularly appear in front of the video blogger's house in the Middle Franconian village of Altschauerberg to catch a glimpse of him, to take selfies - and to provoke him.
Because he was violent in several cases after mutual insults, the 32-year-old is now on trial in Nuremberg * for dangerous bodily harm, among other things.
Trial of the "Dragon Lord" in Nuremberg: Numerous onlookers in front of the courtroom
For security reasons, the responsible district court in Neustadt an der Aisch * had moved the main hearing there.
Quite a few curious people came to the criminal justice center on Thursday to watch the trial.
However, only a few of them found a place in the courtroom because of the corona distance rules.
One after the other, the prosecutor read seven indictments for offenses from 2019 to 2021, which the YouTuber largely admitted: It is true that he attacked a man in front of his house with a flashlight and injured his forehead, said the 32-year-old.
He took another one in a headlock and hit him.
He also insulted police officers.
But how did it come to that?
It all started in 2014 when the blogger gave his address * in one of his videos and asked his opponents to come to him.
Since then, the tranquil 40-inhabitant village of Altschauerberg has been anything but tranquil: the police have to move out several times a day for disturbing the peace, trespassing and other reports.
The "Dragon Lord" phenomenon is unique
Hate crime on social media is a well-known problem - and has been a concern of the police and judiciary in Germany for a long time.
It also happens that a dispute on the Internet turns into real violence.
In March 2019, around 400 young people met in Berlin's Alexanderplatz for a mass brawl * after two clinched influencers called on their fans to do so.
However, none of this is comparable to the “dragon lord” phenomenon, says media scientist Christian Gürtler from the University of Erlangen.
“This is an absolutely outstanding example of hate on the Internet because it continues offline.” Influencers normally kept their private addresses secret - and if they should become known, they usually move.
(By the way: Our Bavaria newsletter informs you about all the important stories from the Free State. Register here.)
But not the "Dragon Lord".
He doesn't seem to be afraid of conflicts - on the contrary.
In his videos about himself and his life, he often gives extreme views of himself.
His haters berate him for it, but also make fun of his looks, his weight and his dialect.
One of his opponents, who was sitting in the courtroom on Thursday, justified his dislike as follows: "He challenges it." He was disrespectful and spoke down to people from above.
Another enumerates what the "Dragon Lord" has uttered in the past - and then admits: "It's all nothing, but when they all come together ..."
"Dragon Lord" can live on his dubious fame - but still heralds change
Thanks to the influencers who reacted to him, the media reporting, the viewers and, last but not least, himself, a kind of negative brand has been built, says Gürtler.
These and other factors also created the hype to drive to Altschauerberg to take a look at his house, explains the media scientist.
The "dragon lord" seems to benefit from his dubious fame. At least he seems to be able to make a living from it. As a job title, he gives YouTubers or influencers in court. How long it will still be in the measure is questionable. It is the second time that he has been tried in court for bodily harm. In September 2019, he was given a seven-month suspended sentence.
His defense attorney announced in the process that the YouTuber had meanwhile sold his house and would move away from Altschauerberg.
He also plans to be less active on the Internet in the future.
The prosecutor nevertheless refused to agree with the defense on a suspended sentence in the event of a confession.
The crime scene is not only Altschauerberg, but also the Internet, the prosecutor justified.
A verdict is expected on October 28th.
(dpa) * Merkur.de / bayern is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
List of rubric lists: © Daniel Karmann / dpa
