Lutz Bachmann, said by German intelligence services to be a target for Islamist terrorists, posted the picture on Facebook

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

A photograph of the leader of a growing “anti-Islamisation” movement in Germany styled as Adolf Hitler has gone viral and raised new questions about the group’s allegiance to the far-right scene.

Lutz Bachmann, 41, a butcher’s son from Dresden and a co-founder of Pegida, posed as Hitler after a session at his hairdresser’s, complete with a Hitler hairstyle dyed black and parted on the right, and a toothbrush moustache.

The image, which appeared on Bachmann’s Facebook page, was accompanied by the line “he’s back”, after a bestselling 2012 novel about Hitler, Er ist wieder da, by author Timur Vermes.

Bachmann deleted his profile shortly after being contacted by the Dresden Morgenpost newspaper.

Pegida: what does the German far-right movement actually stand for? Read more

A Morgenpost reader uncovered the photograph, along with what appeared to be a closed Facebook conversation between Bachmann and one of his Facebook contacts, in which he described immigrants as “cattle”, “scumbags” and “trash”. The comments were posted on 19 September, around two months before the first Pegida march in Dresden.

Responding to the picture, Bachmann told Bild: “I took the photo at the hairdresser’s, for the publication of the audiobook of the satire [novel] He’s Back ... you need to be able to joke about yourself now and then.”

Asked about the derogatory comments he had allegedly made about immigrants, Bachmann replied: “We don’t comment about private matters.”

Bachmann, who has multiple convictions for burglary, assault and drug possession, was said by German intelligence services to be a target for Islamist terrorists who posted an intention to kill him on social media sites. For that reason, what would have been Pegida’s 13th demonstration on Monday, was cancelled.

The group, which has been growing and at its last gathering attracted 25,000 supporters, has vowed to meet again next week in Dresden.

On Wednesday evening Legida, the group’s Leipzig offshoot, will meet, with around 100,000 pro- and counter-protesters expected to gather. Nineteen counter-demonstrations and vigils have been registered with authorities.

But town officials have banned the Legida marchers from taking the historical route through the city used for the peaceful anti-communist protests of 1989, which started in Leipzig and led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Anger is already high among former dissidents that the movement has hijacked the phrase “Wir Sind Das Volk” (“we are the people”) that was chanted 25 years ago.

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