In the mailbox of a queer women’s center in Dresden, a dead rat was found. As FrauenBildungsHaus Dresden e.V. reported, the animal apparently had its throat cut beforehand; however, due to the severely decomposed state, this could not be determined beyond doubt. According to police, the animal was forcibly stuffed into the association’s mailbox on Oskarstraße in Dresden-Prohlis sometime between July 24 and July 27. The FrauenBildungsHaus subsequently filed a complaint for threats.
The state protection office has taken up the investigation, since a politically motivated crime cannot be ruled out, MDR reports citing a police spokesman. There is no confessional letter; the inquiry is being conducted “in all directions.” The Dresden police say comparable cases are not known to them. The investigations are hampered, according to MDR, by the fact that the carcass could no longer be secured — the association ultimately disposed of the dead animal themselves after the police initially declared they were not responsible and referred to the veterinary office.
“We will not be intimidated”
“This incident is not only disgusting, but also a very clear threat against us as a group,” said Sarah Buddeberg, the managing director of FrauenBildungsHaus, in a statement. After gum stuck on signs and damaged items in the courtyard, “a new escalation level has been reached.”
“In a time when those who advocate for an open and diverse society should feel safe, such a threat must be taken very seriously,” said Buddeberg, who sat in the Saxon state parliament for The Left from 2014 to 2024. “While we are simultaneously fighting cuts to secure continued funding for our projects, we also feel the hate and the heated social mood. We are not alone as a center.”
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The response from FrauenBildungsHaus, however, was clear: “We will not be intimidated!” Buddeberg said. “We will always boldly confront hate, antifeminism, and anti-queer hostility.” The association expects clear signals of support from policymakers: “Civil society and democratic engagement must be protected, from cuts as well as from actual threats and attacks.”
The Left sees a link to cuts
After the incident became public, politicians from the CDU, SPD, and The Left expressed solidarity on social media, Buddeberg said. Dresden Left chair Florian Berndt, according to MDR, sees a link between the act, state spending cuts, and the political climate: “While the state signals massive cuts to important projects and implies that equality work is expendable, perpetrators seem to be emboldened by right-wing demagogues to commit such acts.”
The FrauenBildungsHaus Dresden e.V. was founded in 1990 as a place for encounter, counseling, and education for women. It is also the operator of the queer feminist meeting center (F*BZ).
