ZDF bans Danger Dan and Igor Levit performance over anti-fascist song
German broadcaster ZDF prohibited pianist Igor Levit and rapper Danger Dan from performing the song "Keine Angst" on television, citing concerns about excessive anti-fascist messaging. The decision has sparked debate about institutional fear of right-wing extremism in Germany. Critic Georg Seeßlen argues this is not an isolated incident but part of a pattern where mainstream media, cultural institutions, and the justice system fail to uphold an anti-fascist consensus. He contends that Germany lacks an anti-fascist state, government, judiciary, and civil society, and that key institutions in science, education, culture, and art are not reliable bulwarks against right-wing forces threatening democracy and humanism. The article identifies three forces at play, each described as "hideous enough."
Key facts
- ZDF banned Igor Levit and Danger Dan from performing 'Keine Angst'
- The ban was due to concerns about too much anti-fascist content
- Georg Seeßlen wrote the article criticizing the decision
- The article claims this is part of a broader pattern in German institutions
- Seeßlen argues Germany is not an anti-fascist state
- The piece criticizes mainstream media, judiciary, and cultural institutions
- Three unnamed forces are identified as contributing to the problem
- The article was published on freitag.de
Entities
Artists
- Igor Levit
- Danger Dan
- Georg Seeßlen
Institutions
- ZDF
Locations
- Germany