Frank Franz
{{short description|German politician (born 1978)}}
{{expand german|topic=bio|date=July 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = 2017-01-21 - Frank Franz (3x4 cropped).jpg
| caption = Frank Franz in 2017
| office = Leader of The Homeland
| website = {{URL|frank-franz.de}}
| predecessor = Udo Pastörs
| termstart = 1 November 2014
| country = Germany
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978-11-21|df=y}}
| birth_place = Völklingen, Saarland, West Germany (now Germany)
| nationality = German
| party = The Homeland
| children = 3
| spouse = Patricia Koperski (separated)
| allegiance = {{flag|Germany}}
| branch = Bundeswehr
German Army
| rank = Oberfeldwebel
| office1 = Leader of the NPD in the Saarland
| succeeded1 = Peter Marx
| preceded1 = Peter Marx
| serviceyears = 1994–2004
| termend1 = 2012
| termstart1 = 2005
| successor = Peter Schreiber
| term_end = 25 November 2024
}}
Frank Franz (born 21 November 1978) is a German far-right politician who served as the leader of The Homeland between 2014{{Cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/frank-franz-die-npd-und-ihr-niedergang-ein-laecherlicher-verein-a-1144532.html|title=Niedergang der NPD: Ein lächerlicher Verein|last=Höhne|first=Valerie|date=25 April 2017|work=Der Spiegel|access-date=3 April 2018}} and 2024 when he was succeeded by Peter Schreiber.{{Cite web |last=Admin |first=Von |date=2024-11-25 |title="Wo wir sind, ist Heimat!" {{!}} Meine Heimat |url=https://die-heimat.de/wo-wir-sind-ist-heimat/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |language=de}}{{Cite web |last=patrick.weber |date=2024-11-25 |title=Peter Schreiber ist neuer Vorsitzender der HEIMAT |url=https://heimat-kyffhaeuserkreis.de/index.php/2024/peter-schreiber-ist-neuer-vorsitzender-der-heimat/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=Die Heimat im Kyffhäuserkreis |language=de}} Between 2005 and 2011 he served as the chairman of the National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD) in the German state of Saarland as well as the party's national press officer from 2011 to 2014.
Biography
Franz was born in Völklingen. From 1997 to 2004, he served in the Bundeswehr, which he left as a Staff Sergeant. From 2007 onwards he worked as a programmer and artist, and owns an agency that handles the NPD's Internet activities.{{Cite web|url=http://naweko.de/content/4-impressum|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131216071535/http://naweko.de/content/4-impressum|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 December 2013|title=Impressum - naweko - Agentur für Neue Medien|date=16 December 2013|access-date=26 September 2018}}
Internally, Franz is controversial, as he is seen as a protégé of Peter Marx, who was not confirmed as the party's Secretary General in the wake of a failed coup attempt in early 2009.{{Cite news|url=http://www.hagalil.com/2009/04/npd-parteitag/|title=Voigt bleibt Chef bei Krawall-Parteitag - haGalil|date=6 April 2009|work=haGalil|access-date=22 October 2018|language=de-DE}}
Franz is separated from his wife, with whom he has three children. Since 2015, he has been dating a woman named Patricia Koperski, who guest-starred on German soap opera GZSZ and owns a right-wing publishing house.
The renaming of the NPD to Die Heimat was spearheaded under the leadership of Frank Franz.{{Cite web |title=Neuer Name für die NPD |url=https://www.bige.bayern.de/infos_zu_extremismus/aktuelle_meldungen/neuer-name-fur-die-npd/ |access-date=2024-12-26 |website=www.bige.bayern.de |language=German}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Franz, Frank}}
Category:National Democratic Party of Germany politicians
{{NPD leaders}}
{{Germany-NPD-politician-stub}}