The court ruling in an administrative court in the city of Cologne on Thursday means the designation, which has real consequences for the party, has been withdrawn pending a final verdict.
The extremist label has allowed German intelligence to scrutinize and monitor the AfD. The party has members of the Bundestag and a large presence in several federal states.
AfD leader Alice Weidel welcomes the result and claims it is “a victory for democracy” and for the principles of the rule of law.
Other parties, including the ruling conservative CDU, refuse on principle to cooperate with the AfD in the German Bundestag.
