Neo-Nazis in Germany and the United States: An Entangled History of Hate, 1945-2000
My book project investigates the transatlantic connections between German and American neo-Nazis, Holocaust deniers, and white supremacists from the end of World War II in 1945 through the rise of the Internet era in the 1990s. I argue that the strengthening of German rightwing extremism was not only the homegrown or inevitable successor to the Third Reich, but rather also owed substantially to mutual American influence. Amid the Cold War, American extremists exploited the right to free speech to circumvent censorship laws in East and West Germany. In so doing, they galvanized a younger generation of German neo-Nazis who turned their violence not only against Jews but also against immigrants, asylum seekers, Roma, Black Germans, and queer people. This relationship was reciprocal: German neo-Nazis also helped fuel antisemitism, racism, and violence in the United States. Related to this project, I am also researching the historical connections between German neo-Nazis and other rightwing extremists across the globe, including in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. During my fellowship at ZZF, I will be part of the project group "The Radical Right in Germany, 1945-2000" and I will present my research at the conference "Lebenswelten der radikalen Rechten."