Right-Wing Extremism in Contemporary Germany (New Perspectives in German Political Studies)

This study of the German right-extremist movement looks at the three rightist political parties, neo-Nazi groups, skinhead gangs, and New Right intellectuals. It poses the question whether, at a time of global recession, the existing democratic system is resilient enough to meet the challenges posed by the xenophobic and racist groups. This volume surveys the contemporary right-extremist scene in Germany since the country's unification in 1990. It covers first the Weimar, Nazi, and post-World War II periods in West and East Germany. After 1945 three major right-extremist parties, neo-Nazi groups and skinhead gangs challenged the establishment in West Germany while rightist youth groups emerged in East Germany. The two countries' unification produced severe economic and social problems among youth in eastern Germany. As a result, violence against foreigners, leftists, gays, Gypsies, the homeless and vandalism at Jewish sites increased significantly. Rightist groups seek to gain more support among youth through a range of media and rock music concerts. Their efforts at conversion are often successful even though national, state and local groups have organized pro-democracy programs. Braunthal raises the question whether the democratic system can survive this rightist challenge in the face of a global recession Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 6 Foreword......Page 8 Acknowledgements......Page 12 List of Acronyms......Page 13 Introduction......Page 16 1 The Setting......Page 19 Scholarly analyses......Page 20 Further scholarly analyses......Page 21 Racism and nationalism......Page 23 Xenophobia......Page 24 Anti-Semitism......Page 28 Gender issues......Page 29 Public support for right-wing extremism......Page 31 2 The German Right-Extremist Scene, 1945–1990......Page 34 The Federal Republic......Page 36 The German Democratic Republic......Page 49 Conclusion......Page 56 The Republikaner......Page 58 German People's Union......Page 66 National Democratic Party of Germany......Page 72 Conclusion......Page 90 A splintered movement......Page 92 Free Comradeship Groups......Page 101 National liberated zones......Page 104 Skinheads......Page 106 Eastern Germany: prelude to violence......Page 111 Violence in western Germany......Page 118 Anti-Semitic acts......Page 125 Conclusion......Page 129 Newspapers......Page 132 Journals......Page 133 Publishing houses......Page 134 Cultural organizations......Page 136 The visual media......Page 137 The electronic network......Page 139 Electronic games......Page 143 Music as a propaganda tool......Page 145 Fanzines and youth......Page 150 Conclusion......Page 151 6 The New Right......Page 152 Birth of a movement......Page 153 Ideological components......Page 154 A plethora of authors and journals......Page 157 The Heidelberg Manifesto and the Thule Seminar......Page 164 Historians' dispute......Page 166 Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung advertisements......Page 167 New Right links to ultra-conservatives......Page 168 Coming to terms with the past......Page 174 The Martin Walser controversy......Page 175 National pride and Leitkultur......Page 178 An appraisal......Page 182 The law and the courts......Page 184 The police......Page 188 The federal, Länder, and local governments......Page 193 Grassroots actions......Page 200 An array of local and regional projects......Page 202 Schools and students......Page 205 Youth and social workers......Page 209 The exit strategy......Page 211 Summation......Page 214 Right-wing extremism......Page 216 A challenge to democracy......Page 218 Immigration: source for controversy......Page 220 Weimar and the Berlin Republic compared......Page 221 Links abroad......Page 224 The present and future......Page 226 Notes......Page 229 Bibliography......Page 254 B......Page 267 E......Page 268 G......Page 269 I......Page 270 M......Page 271 P......Page 272 S......Page 273 V......Page 274 Z......Page 275

This study of the German right-extremist movement looks at the three rightist political parties, neo-Nazi groups, skinhead gangs, and New Right intellectuals. It poses the question whether, at a time of global recession, the existing democratic system is resilient enough to meet the challenges posed by the xenophobic and racist groups.

Introduction: A challenge to the democratic system The setting The German Right-extremist scene, 1945-1990 Right-extremist parties Neo-Nazi groups Tools of propaganda and recruitment The New Right Responses : public and private Conclusion: A threat to democracy? The setting The German right-extremist scene, 1945-1990 Right-extremist parties Neo-Nazi groups, skinheads, and violence Tools of propaganda and recruitment The new right Responses : public and private.