Jamel rockt den Förster

Jamel rockt den Förster, alternatively Forstrock-Festival, is an open-air music festival held in the village of Jamel in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 2007. The organisators are the Lohmann couple, the owners of the Forsthof Jamel. The music festival was started as a sign against right-wing extremism. Manuela Schwesig, the actual minister-president of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the past president of the Landtag of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sylvia Bretschneider, became the festival's first patrons. After the death of Bretschneider Birgit Hesse take over thr patronage.[1]

In 2025, the couple Horst and Birgit Lohmeyer were awarded the Aachener Friedenspreis for their engagement, especially for organizing the music festival.[2]

Musicians and bands who have attended the music festival include Die Toten Hosen, Herbert Grönemeyer, Die Fantastischen Vier, Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Die Ärzte and Heaven Shall Burn.

Background and festival history

Jamel is a village and district of the municipality of Gägelow in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern with about 40 people living there. Since the 1990's, the village is said to be a stronghold for right-wing extremists.[3] The festival was started in 2007 by Horst and Birgit Lohmeyer who had moved to the village back in 2004 as a sign against the right-wing supremacy in Jamel.[4]

In it's history, the festival was targeted several times by right-wing extremists. In August 2015, just some days before the festival started, the barn was set on fire and in 2016 the tires of cars of the festival attendees were pierced.[5] The arson attack in 2015 led to the spontanious attendance of German punk band Die Toten Hosen at the festival which gained supraregional recognition afterwards. In 2016, German politicans Manuela Schwesig and Claudia Roth announced that they would visit the festival.[6] To prevent riots the festival is secured by massive police presence every year.[7]

On January 28, 2025 it was announced that the organisators would have to pay a fee of 0,70 EUR per square meter for the usage of the ground where the festival takes place. According to Birgit Lohmeyer the fee for the use of 1.5 hectars for four weeks would be around 10.500 EUR. The Lohmeyers called the resolution "impudence" and announced to they would check the decision juristically.[8] On June 27, 2025, the Verwaltungsgericht Schwerin declined a rushed decision about the organisatoric aspects of the festival. The court stated that there would be enough time to act against the assements and requirements of the district of Nordwestmecklenburg. The organisators, the Verein Gemeinsam für Frieden und Solidarität (GFS), IG Metall and DGB Nord filed a registration of the festival at the authorities as an assembly. In case of a successful registration, the festival could take place without paying any fees. The district of Nordwestmecklenburg announced that they would ban the sale of alcohol if the festival is registered as an assembly.[9]

Bands

Year Bands attendance Ref
2007 Groovista, Thronräuber, Wismar Rock Band, Quo Vadis, Gitarrenduo Tom & Martin, Country Dance Band [10]
2008 Absurdt, Restless Consumers, Cosmic Cowboys, Etepetete, Super Mario, 41 A Crash, Dreiberge, Voodoo Moon, Gitarrenduo Tom & Mario, Comeback, Pride 'n' Rock
2009 Tom & Mario, Kyuchu, 41 A Crash, Stiff la Wolf & Band, Little Big Drummer, Vietsmorgen, Etepetete, HEADZ UP KING, A.D.E.L.
2010 A. d. e. L., Stiff la Wolf & Band, Etepetete, Distordia, Kyuchu, Deadstars, pennydreadful, DigWah, Looks That Kill, halo
2011 Holly Would Surrender, An Electric Avalanche, Twisted Shoes, Ragnaröek, Haudegen, Etepetete, 3/4 Noin, GoUK
2012 Haudegen, Etepetete, Cameron Can, Rantanplan, Männerurlaub, Still Wasted, Are Those Your Friends, Ave, Audrey Fights Back, One Strike Left
2013 Etepetete, Black/Rosie, McKinley Black & Ian Melrose, Tricky Lobsters, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang, Mad Maraboo Orchestra
2014 Pottpoeten, Ohrenfeindt, Alphaville, Starfucker, Pfefferminz, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang, Sonuvab!tch, Crushing Caspars
2015 Arsen, Callin Tommy, Motus, Lake, EISBRENNERsLaTINOconexion, Chawa Lilith Band, DaSKArtell, Terrorgruppe, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang, Die Toten Hosen
2016 Wolf Maahn, Bela B, Captain Planet, Danube's Banks, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang, Madsen, Karl-Heinz Johnson, Ohrbooten, ZSK, Chawa Lilith Band, Die Ärzte, Fettes Brot, Sookee 1.200[11]
2017 Zaunpfahl, Goldroger, Die Sterne, Kraftklub, Slime, Theater, Schreng Schreng & La La, Schnipo Schranke, Das Auge Gottes, Schrottgrenze, Fehlfarben, Beatsteaks, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang 1.000+[12]
2018 KAFVKA, Fatoni, Dritte Wahl, Kettcar, Casper, Marteria, Herbert Grönemeyer, Antilopen Gang, Muff Potter, Bosse, Audio 88 & Yassin, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang, Karl-Heinz Johnson 1.500[13]
2019 Tequila & the Sunrise Gang, MIA., Donots, Feine Sahne Fischfilet, Samy Deluxe, Antje Schomaker, Thees Uhlmann, Max Herre, Strom und Wasser, Grossstadtgeflüster, Jay Jay and Friends, Arsen 1.200[14] [15]
2020 cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak in Germany[16]
2021 Acht Eimer Hühnerherzen, Deine Cousine, Leoniden, Il Civetto, Bukahara, Igor Levit, Danger Dan 450[17] [10]
2022 Planlos, Alli Neumann, Team Scheisse, Thees Uhlmann, Haiyti, Kreator, Shirley Holmes, Alex Mofa Gang, Mia Morgan, Amewu, Sportfreunde Stiller, Deichkind, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang 2.500[18] [19]
2023 Sebastian Krumbiegel, NinaMarie, Juli, Bosse, Fury in the Slaughterhouse, Madsen, Larrikins, Berlin 2.0, Finna, Turbostaat, Blumfeld, Danger Dan, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang 3.000[20] [21]
2024 Jiska, Wallis Bird, Tränen, Olli Schulz, Die Fantastischen Vier, Querbeat, Cava, Adam Angst, Ebow, Selig, Element of Crime, Heaven Shall Burn, Tequila & the Sunrise Gang 3.500[22] [23]

References

  1. ^ "Jamel rockt den Förster: Das Festival gegen Rechtsextremismus". NDR.de (in German). June 27, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  2. ^ "Aachener Friedenspreis für Veranstalter von "Jamel rockt den Förster"". NDR.de (in German). May 22, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  3. ^ "Mutmaßlich rechtsextremer Angriff auf Festival-Initiatoren Lohmeyer". Der Spiegel (in German). January 2, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  4. ^ Jahn, Thekla (August 29, 2016). "„Jamel rockt den Förster": Ein Festival für Demokratie und Toleranz". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  5. ^ "Festival „Jamel rockt den Förster": Die Ärzte singen „Schrei nach Liebe" gegen Rechts – die Neonazis schlitzen Autoreifen auf". Rolling Stone (in German). August 29, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  6. ^ ""Forstrock" gegen Rechts in Jamel". Die Zeit (in German). August 27, 2016. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  7. ^ Wolf, Lara (August 28, 2016). "Festival in Jamel: Nazi-Attacke auf Konzert gegen rechts". Tagesspiegel (in German). Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  8. ^ "Gemeinde beschließt Gebühr für „Jamel rockt den Förster"". Deutsche Presse Agentur (in German). January 28, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025 – via Süddeutsche Zeitung.
  9. ^ ""Jamel rockt den Förster": Gericht lehnt Eilentscheidung ab". NDR.de (in German). June 27, 2025. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  10. ^ a b "Historie". Forstrock.de (in German). Retrieved June 29, 2025., festival poster in slide show
  11. ^ Drögemüller, Dennis (August 29, 2016). "Die Ärzte treten überraschend bei Festival gegen Rechts in Jamel auf". Visions.de (in German). Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  12. ^ "Sachbericht „Jamel rockt den Förster 2017"" (PDF). Demokratieaktie.de (in German). October 11, 2017. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  13. ^ "Sachbericht „Jamel rockt den Förster 2018"" (PDF). Demokratieaktie.de (in German). October 10, 2018. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  14. ^ "Fotostrecke: Das war „Jamel rockt den Förster 2019" in Bildern". Ostsee Zeitung (in German). August 25, 2019. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  15. ^ Drexhage, Thea (October 30, 2019). "Review: Großes Füreinander bei Jamel rockt den Förster (2019)" (in German). Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  16. ^ "Festival „Jamel rockt den Förster" für 2020 abgesagt". Ostsee Zeitung (in German). 2020. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  17. ^ "Die „Leoniden" sorgen beim Forstrock in Jamel für Stimmung". Deutsche Presse Agentur (in German). September 17, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2025 – via Süddeutsche Zeitung.
  18. ^ "Festival-Jubiläum: "Jamel rockt den Förster"". Deutsche Presse Agentur (in German). August 14, 2022. Retrieved June 29, 2025 – via Zeit Online.
  19. ^ Emmers, Kevin R. (August 15, 2022). "Kreator sind Überraschungs-Headliner bei „Jamel rockt den Förster"". Frontstage Magazine (in German). Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  20. ^ "Das Demokratiefestival in Jamel ist beendet". Deutschlandfunk Kultur (in German). August 28, 2023. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  21. ^ Sijobo01 (September 4, 2023). "Jamel rockt den Förster 2023 – so war das wichtigste Festival Deutschlands in diesem Jahr". Konzertecke.de (in German). Retrieved June 29, 2025.
  22. ^ ""Jamel rockt den Förster" - mit 3.500 Fans gegen rechts". Deutsche Presse Agentur (in German). September 1, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2025 – via Zeit Online.
  23. ^ "Line Up Jamel rockt den Förster 2024". Festivalunited.com (in German). 2024. Archived from the original on September 4, 2024. Retrieved June 29, 2025.
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