Chancellor Kent Syverud | Syracuse University
Chancellor Kent Syverud | Syracuse University
As millions protest the far right in Germany, insights from Robert Terrell, Ph.D., assistant professor of history at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, shed light on the situation. Dr. Terrell's expertise in modern Germany and Europe provides valuable perspectives on the ongoing events.
Dr. Terrell highlighted the complexity of Germany's relationship with its Nazi past, stating, “On the place of the Nazi past: While Germany has made great efforts to confront its Nazi past, Nazism is not a past that can simply be gotten over or definitively conquered." He emphasized that the politics of memory surrounding Nazism remain active and contested, cautioning against complacency in thinking that prior memory work can fully protect against historical reframing and perversion.
Regarding the AfD's presence in eastern Germany, Dr. Terrell pointed out, “On the AfD as an eastern German problem: The article ties the electoral successes of the AfD in eastern Germany to GDR-era narratives of the Nazi past." He also noted that the AfD's support in the east stems from a sense of internal otherness among many eastern Germans since reunification, a sentiment often overlooked by western Germans. Dr. Terrell suggested a deeper examination of Germany's confrontation with its cold war and post-cold war history in addition to its Nazi past.
Furthermore, Dr. Terrell dispelled the notion that the AfD's influence is limited to the former East, stating, “Also on the AfD and the former East Germany: The AfD is not limited to the former East." He highlighted that protests against the AfD have not been restricted to the former West, with demonstrations in eastern cities like Jena, Erfurt, and Halle surpassing those in the former West in terms of relative populations during the initial wave of protests.
As Germany grapples with far-right protests and the resurgence of nationalist sentiments, Dr. Terrell's insights provide a nuanced understanding of the historical, social, and political dynamics at play in the country.
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