Kathrin Oertel

Kathrin Oertel co-founded the anti-Islam, anti-immigrant German movement PEGIDA, an acronym for the German for 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West'.

She briefly led the movement after the resignation of founder Lutz Bachmann following the publication of photographs of him posing as Hitler and the announcement that authorities were investigating him for inciting hatred. Within a week she had also resigned.

PEGIDA announced on its Facebook page that Oertel, reportedly 37 years old in January 2015, had quit 'due to the massive hostility, threats and career disadvantages', adding: 'Even the strongest of women has to take time out when at night photographers and other strange figures are sneaking around outside her house.'