Sparkasse Göttingen ordered to maintain Rote Hilfe bank account

The Higher Regional Court (OLG) of Braunschweig has ruled that Sparkasse Göttingen must continue to maintain the bank account of the left-wing solidarity organization Rote Hilfe e.V. The court rejected the bank's appeal against a previous ruling by the Göttingen District Court, upholding an interim injunction that requires the account to remain active until a final decision is reached in the main proceedings.

Sparkasse Göttingen had terminated the account in December 2025, citing increased monitoring requirements under money laundering laws. The bank claimed that donation appeals for purposes such as “unverzagt” and “Budapest” suggested a risk of terrorism financing, particularly following the U.S. State Department's classification of “Antifa Ost” as a terrorist organization. However, the court found these suspicions unfounded and noted that the bank had misrepresented the content of the donation appeals.

The court clarified that the organization's calls for support were intended to provide legal assistance in specific proceedings and to support individuals facing extradition in Hungary, which aligns with the association's statutory purpose. The court also found no evidence of concealment, noting that the donation purposes were transparent and traceable across approximately 2,300 incoming payments.