Früher saufender Nazi, heute veganer Tierschützer – Markus war schon immer extrem

"I've always been an extreme person. I've never been able to do anything normally and have always had to stand out. That runs like a red thread through my life," says Markus Gärtner. The 43-year-old sits in his living room between three huge dogs, the white Adam snuggled up to him. "I had a very nice childhood. I can't say exactly what the switching error was." Markus is eleven when he takes drugs for the first time. As a teenager, he consumed alcohol so excessively that he was rarely seen sober for years. Through acquaintances, he finally comes into contact with right-wing rock and slips further and further into the extreme right-wing scene. The years as a “drunken village Nazi”, as Markus himself says, have consequences: He is charged several times - for unconstitutional signs and even dangerous bodily harm. He only avoids a prison sentence because this is punishable under juvenile criminal law. The turning point came over 20 years ago when he withdrew from alcohol: after months of isolation from alcohol and comrades, he not only got sober, but also distanced himself more and more from the far-right scene. “The longer I was sober, the more I thought: why maintain something that you are and feel nothing about?” Today, he actively positions himself against right-wing agitation: "Precisely because I know what I'm against. Excluding other people and stirring up hatred is simply not an alternative." Markus finally found his calling in animal welfare. He has been vegan for more than ten years, and in 2019 he and his mother Maria Gärtner fulfilled their dream of running a farm. In the Hunsrück region, the two give over 120 animals “A little warmth” on 13,000 square meters. This is not only the name of the farm, but also Markus' association. Whether pigs, cows, cats or rabbits - they have all found a place of mercy in times of need. But that's all they can take in: the farm has been closed for years. “It's all donation-based,” explains Markus. “Getting the animals looked after is sometimes a real struggle to survive.” Although every day brings new challenges, Markus has at least found “a spark of peace” with his life farm: “For the first time, I have the feeling that my life has a purpose.” A film by Katharina Feißt (editor, editing), Julian Camargo (camera) and Yannick Wagner (editor). 00:00 “I've always been an extreme person” 00:35 This is how hard everyday life is on the farm 02:57 “Stupid drunk village Nazi”: The darkest time in Markus' life 06:13 Turning point and new meaning as an animal rights activist Subscribe to the Landesschau Rheinland-Pfalz channel at: http://x.swr.de/s/lsyt Welcome to the YouTube channel of Landesschau Rheinland-Pfalz. Highlights from our program await you here: Portraits, reports, documentaries, art, culture, advice! We have daily updates on the channel. Subscribe to us if you don't want to miss anything. More Landesschau: Official homepage: https://www.swrfernsehen.de/landessch... Facebook:   / landesschau   More SWR Heimat: Instagram:   / swrheimat   TikTok:   / swrheimat   Imprint: https://www.swr.de/impressum Comments are welcome - but please observe our netiquette: https://www.swr.de/netiquette Data protection: https://www.swr.de/datenschutz #SWRHeimat #Documentary #Lebenshof #animalwelfare #rightwingpolitics