The Far right and German society from 1970 to 2000
The far right has been a part of political culture in both the Federal Republic and reunified Germany, not just since the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. In his lecture, historian Knud Andresen will use selected examples to trace the development of the far-right milieu, civil society groups and state responses, and will place these within their social context. Afterwards he will engage in a conversation with Hanno Balz.
The far-right scene in Germany, comprising parties such as the NPD, the Republicans and the DVU, has enjoyed electoral success on several occasions, yet has remained isolated from all other parties. On the surface, the far right appeared to be on the fringes of society and politically insignificant. However, this long-held perception can hardly be sustained when viewed through a more in-depth historiographical lens. The far right has influenced political debates in a number of ways. At certain times, it has reflected the general mood of large sections of the population. Examples include the mobilisation against the ‘Neue Ostpolitik’ in 1970, debates on asylum and migration policy, and the debate on the criminal role of the Wehrmacht during the Second World War in the mid-1990s. This is also evident in the increase in everyday racist and right-wing violent acts since the late 1970s.
The far right has also left its mark in the reactions it has sparked. Since the end of the war, its public appearances and actions have regularly prompted defensive responses. Since the 1970s in particular, ‘anti-fascist alliances’ have emerged, comprising trade unions, churches, political parties and radical left-wing groups. These have confronted the far right at demonstrations and led debates on political education, the Nazi past, and the limits of free speech.
After his lecture, Knud Andresen will engage in a conversation with historian Hanno Balz.
Speakers
Knud Andresen is Senior Researcher and acting Deputy Director at the Research Centre for Contemporary History (Forschungsstelle für Zeitgeschichte) in Hamburg. His research focuses on social and cultural history in the 20thcentury, mainly the history of work and labour movement, new social movements, Oral History and the Far Right.
Hanno Balz is a member of the academic staff at the Duitsland Instituut Amsterdam and a Lektor for the Deutsche Akademische Austauschdienst. He teaches German and European history at the University of Amsterdam. Hanno’s fields of research are the history of social movements, cultural and media history, and the Shoah and Nazi rule and its legacy. He published extensively on media and terrorism in West Germany.
