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Olaf Gloeckner

German Antisemitism from the Far Right: Debates around ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD)

November 8, 1 PM, Eastern Time (US and Canada)

In the elections of 2017, for the first time in German post-War history, a right-wing populist party entered the parliament (Bundestag) which is deliberately revisionist and emphasizes ethno-cultural and ethno-religious extremes. At the same time the ‘Alternative for Germany’ (AfD) tries to stage itself as a friend of Israel, and as a backing force for Jewish communities in trouble. In fact, in autumn 2018 a platform “Jews in the AfD” appeared in the public. Though, on second glance the party has a serious issue with anti-Semitic activists, nationalists and right wing extremist supporters. Are AfD forces spoiling the consensus of tolerance and solidarity in Germany?  And if so: what does it mean for the local Jewish communities? Olaf Glöckner highlighted conflicts inside and debates on a new political force, craftily re-activating stereotypes allegedly forgotten in public.

Dr. Olaf Glöckner is a Senior Researcher at the Moses Mendelssohn Center for European-Jewish Studies, Potsdam (MMZ). He teaches also at Potsdam University (Jewish Studies and Modern History). Glöckner made his PhD at the University of Potsdam, dealing with the topic auf “Immigrated Russian Jewish Elites in Israel and Germany. Integration, Self-Image and Role in Community Building”. He continued extensively publishing on Jewish migration from the former Soviet Union. Glöckner did also participate in several studies of the European Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on “Discrimination and Hate Crimes against Jewish in EU Member States” (2011/12 and 2017/18). Currently, he is one of the Principal Investigators in the EU-funded international study „‘United in Diversity‘ - An Interdisciplinary Study of Contemporary European Jewry and its Reflection“ (joint research project of Charles University Prague, Jagiellonian University Krakow, Comenius University Bratislava, Kantor Center/Tel Aviv University and MMZ Potsdam).

Recent publication:

Being Jewish in 21st Century Central Europe. Ed. together with Marcela Menachem Zoufalá and Haim Fireberg. De Gruyter, Berlin/Boston 2020.