Lutz Bachmann (born 1963) is a German far-right activist best known as the founder and leader of the Pegida movement (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident), which he established on October 20, 2014, in Dresden, Germany. The movement organized large-scale anti-Islam and anti-immigration protests, peaking in 2015 amid the European migrant crisis, drawing tens of thousands of participants and influencing far-right discourse across Europe. Bachmann's inflammatory rhetoric often portrayed Islam as an existential threat to German culture and refugees as invaders, leading to widespread controversy and accusations of xenophobia, racism, and hate speech. He has faced multiple legal issues for hate speech, including: a 2015/2016 conviction for inciting hatred after posting offensive images and comments about refugees on social media (resulting in a fine, including for comparing refugees to 'cattle' and 'scum'); a 2018 court ruling that his statements constituted Volksverhetzung (incitement to hatred), resulting in a suspended sentence; and a 2020 conviction for derogatory remarks about Muslims, resulting in a fine. Prior to Pegida, Bachmann had a varied career including work as a bouncer, security guard, taxi driver, and owner of a small business, but his past includes multiple criminal convictions from the 1990s and early 2000s for offenses such as burglary, assault/bodily harm, leading to prison time. Born and raised in East Germany, Bachmann has positioned himself as a defender of traditional German values against multiculturalism. His influence extends through networks in the far-right scene, including political ties to figures like Björn Höcke of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party (with whom he has co-sponsored events) and consultations with foreign activists such as Martin Sellner of the Austrian Identitarian movement, with financial support from individuals like AfD politician Hans-Thomas Tillschneider. Critics, including German authorities, media, anti-extremism groups, and international observers, have accused him of fostering division, aligning with neo-Nazi elements, and promoting Islamophobia, though Bachmann denies such ties. Despite declining attendance at Pegida rallies in recent years, he remains a figurehead in Germany's far-right scene, continuing to speak at events and maintain an online presence. He is divorced and of German ethnicity.