The AfD has won new support in western states from voters frustrated by Germany's weak economy, seeking curbs on migration, and fed up with political stasis. It has also attracted younger people, for whom voting far-right does not hold the same stigma as it did for older generations.

On a wet evening in Suhl, in the former East Germany, a smattering of youthful faces were among hundreds lining up to hear from an unlikely idol - Björn Höcke, one of the most controversial figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Birkenstock sandals are ubiquitous in summer. But can the well-known footwear be considered art? That’s the question Germany’s Federal Court of Justice had to wrestle with on Thursday.

In a lawsuit, Birkenstock aimed to combat knockoffs, but the court determined the German footwear does not meet the definition of “applied art.”