Germany: Far-Left Extremist on Trial for Attempted Murder Awarded $54,000 in State-Funded Arts Prizes
A far-left extremist art student in Germany facing charges stemming from a series of violent, ideologically driven offenses has ignited national outrage after being awarded nearly €50,000 in public arts funding while awaiting trial for her alleged involvement in a series of violent left-wing attacks across Europe.
Hanna Schiller, a student at the Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg, is currently in pre-trial detention in Munich after being charged with attempted murder and participating in a string of politically motivated violent assaults as a part of the so-called “Hammer Gang”—a radical-left militant group with ties to Antifa networks.
Despite facing deeply serious pending charges, Schiller was recently named the winner of the 27th Federal Prize for Art Students, which includes €30,000 ($34,000) in prize money and an additional €18,000 ($20,400) scholarship for an upcoming art exhibition, the German publication Ticky’s Einblick reports.
Schiller’s arrest in May 2024 followed a violent episode in Budapest, where she and other gang members allegedly ambushed and beat several individuals they suspected of being right-wing activists with hammers and other weapons. Prosecutors say one victim was struck more than 15 times with a baton while being held down—an attack that could have resulted in death.
Police reported that on the day of the attack, a group of approximately 15 far-left extremists—primarily German, Italian, and Greek nationals—carried out coordinated assaults on eight civilians at four separate locations across Budapest.
Critics have questioned how someone accused of such brutality could be celebrated by the very institutions that publicly oppose extremism and politically-motivated violence. The prize, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and the German Students’ Union, has drawn sharp criticism for honoring Schiller’s politically-charged artwork, including pieces made from women’s hair, while sidestepping mention of her criminal proceedings.
The jury praised her work as a “precise” engagement with themes of “structural violence and power.” While Schiller’s nomination came after her arrest, the Academy of Fine Arts Nuremberg defended the decision by invoking the principle of presumption of innocence. “We treat her like any other student until the verdict is announced,” the academy said in a written statement.
Yet, this stance appears to clash with the school’s own mission statement, which promotes “openness, tolerance, and opposition to all forms of extremism and violence.”
Schiller had previously received multiple scholarships and was awarded the academy’s internal prize in early 2024, further fueling debate about the normalization of political violence within certain cultural circles.
Other members of the Hammer Gang have already faced justice. Lina Engel was sentenced to over five years in prison in 2023, while several associates received lesser penalties. A Hungarian court sentenced another gang member to three years in prison last year. Meanwhile, the militant group’s alleged leader, 31-year-old Johann Guntermann, was apprehended by police near the left-wing extremist stronghold of Leipzig, in eastern Germany, in late 2024 after years on the run.
Saxon investigators reportedly identified Guntermann in video footage of the Budapest assault, prompting an intensified manhunt to locate and apprehend him.
In the political sphere, the backlash has been swift. Alice Weidel, co-leader of the anti-globalist Alternative for Germany (AfD), slammed the award, claiming it may have been granted not despite Schiller’s “activism,” but because of it. “No taxpayer money for violent left-wing extremism!” she wrote on X.
Linksextremistin Hanna S., mutmaßlich Teil der „Hammerbande“, erhält mit 30.000 Euro dotierten, staatlich geförderten Kunstpreis, möglicherweise nicht trotz, sondern gerade wegen ihres „Aktivismus”. Kein Steuergeld für gewalttätigen Linksextremismus!https://t.co/cLzXyOnRD5
— Alice Weidel (@Alice_Weidel) April 15, 2025
The controversy echoes broader European tensions over how to handle growing far-left militancy. In a parallel case, Italian Green MEP Ilaria Salis—known as “Hammer Girl”—continues to evade prosecution thanks to her parliamentary immunity, despite being charged with similar assaults in Hungary.
Prior to being elected as a Member of European Parliament in Italy, Salis was arrested for her alleged involvement in a series of violent Antifa assaults on multiple individuals in Budapest—incidents partially documented by surveillance footage.
Italian citizen Ilaria Salis, who is accused of being a member of the violent Antifa “Hammer gang,” has been elected to the EU parliament and now has immunity through her status as an MEP.
This means she will be released from prison in Hungary, where she is currently standing… pic.twitter.com/YXzG7Fq9XM
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) June 11, 2024
As Schiller awaits trial, neither the Federal Ministry of Education nor the Nuremberg Fine Arts Academy has signaled any intention to revoke the award or the accompanying funds.
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