"Jamel's Forest Festival Judgment: Successful Outcome in the Court Decision"
The upcoming anti-far right festival "Jamel rockt den Förster," organised by Birgit and Horst Lohmeyer in Gägelow, Mecklenburg, is facing a legal dispute with the municipality of Gägelow and the district of Nordwestmecklenburg. Despite several setbacks, recent court rulings have largely sided with the festival organisers on key issues.
Over the past few months, the Verwaltungsgericht (VG) Schwerin and the Oberverwaltungsgericht (OVG) Greifswald have made significant decisions in favour of the Lohmeyers. In July 2025, the courts ruled that a usage contract for the festival venue must be concluded first before usage fees can be imposed, and this may happen under reservation. The organisers initially lost in an interim proceeding over the usability fee but won an injunction against several restrictive assembly conditions imposed by the county, such as a ban on beer consumption, which the court found not justified by evidence or security risks.
In early August 2025, the OVG criticized the municipality’s sudden stance demanding an unconditional waiver of reimbursement as an unfair legal move violating the principle of good faith (§ 242 BGB). The VG decision is binding and enforceable, and it remains to be seen how the municipality of Gägelow will respond legally.
The municipality has publicly stated readiness to provide the site for the festival but is disputing whether this should be free of charge or subject to an entitlement fee. Meanwhile, the Lohmeyers are seeking a clause in the usage contract that allows them to reclaim the fee if it is later deemed illegal by the court.
Julian Barlen, the leader of the SPD faction in the state parliament, supports the Lohmeyers and their festival, calling it a "nationwide symbol of the courage to stand against right-wing extremism." Barlen also described the Lohmeyers' commitment as an example of civil courage.
Since 2007, Birgit and Horst Lohmeyer have been organising the festival against the far right in Gägelow. This year's event is scheduled to take place on August 22 and 23, and despite the ongoing legal disputes, the court has blocked burdensome restrictions and upheld the assembly rights of the organisers. However, the financial dispute about usage fees is ongoing and unresolved. How this will affect the event depends on forthcoming legal and municipal decisions, which have not yet been made public.
An appeal can also be filed with the Higher Administrative Court against the decision of the Administrative Court from Thursday. Daniel Peters, a CDU state parliamentarian, stated that if an event is registered as an assembly, it must comply with the conditions. The Lohmeyers have also succeeded in a dispute with the district of Nordwestmecklenburg regarding the festival's registration as a political assembly.
Notable German musicians like Herbert Grönemeyer, Die Toten Hosen, and Die Ärzte have performed at the festival in the past, and this year's event is expected to attract a large crowd. The festival has become a significant platform for promoting tolerance and unity, making it a much-anticipated event in the region.
[1] Schweriner Volkszeitung, "Jamel rockt den Förster: Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin erlässt Urteil," 2025-07-30. [2] MDR, "Gägelow: OVG Greifswald kritisiert Gägelows Forderung nach unbedingtem Waiver," 2025-08-04.
