"NEVER AGAIN "ONCE AGAIN"? - The return of the illiberal right 75 years after the end of the war - Forena

April 20th –
                                          21st 2020
                                         Köln-Deutz
                                        DORINT-Hotel

CONFERENCE
„NEVER AGAIN!“ – „ONCE AGAIN“?
The return of the illiberal right
75 years after the end of the war
Registration: www.forena.de

Organizer:
FORSCHUNGSSCHWERPUNKT
RECHTSEXTREMISMUS/NEONAZISMUS
DER HOCHSCHULE DÜSSELDORF
MIT UNTERSTÜTZUNG DER
BUNDESZENTRALE FÜR POLITISCHE BILDUNG

Registration
A binding registration is required for the conference:
www.forena.de

Conference location
Dorint An der Messe Köln
Deutz-Mülheimer Straße 22-24
50679 Köln (Messe)

The hotel is located near the trade fair in Köln-Deutz and can be
easily reached by train via Köln-Deutz station.

V.i.S.d.P.:
Prof. Dr. Fabian Virchow
Forena
Münsterstraße 156
40476 Düsseldorf

CONFERENCE

„Never again!“ – „Once again“?
The return of the illiberal right 75 years
after the end of the war
April 20th – 21st 2020
Köln-Deutz / DORINT-Hotel

In memory politics, the 8th of May 2020 stands out as a symbol
for the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War and
the liberation of fascism in Germany and Europe in memory po-
litics. On the occasion of this anniversary the Scientific Research
Centre for right-wing extremism/neo-Nazism (FORENA) of the
college of Düsseldorf organizes a conference with a European and
international perspective. In consideration of historic perspecti-
ves, the event will investigate the matter of current appearances
of Nazism, fascism, populism and right-wing extremism and the
cause of their manifestation in numerous countries around the
globe.

The emergence and rise of populist and extreme right-wing mo-
vements and parties in Europe, the shift to the right in the US, the
election of an extreme right-wing candidate as the new president
of Brazil and the democratic apathy that is frequently visible in
polls, have made the question about opportunities and causes for
the return of right-wing movements with fascist characteristics a
pressing matter.

Given the fact of right-wing electoral success and increasing
right-wing violence, politics and the general public discuss the
probability of an implosion of the democratic order in Germany
and Europe once again:

—— Is there a threat of the return of political instability like e.g.
   in the late Weimar Republic?
—— Are the foundations of parliamentary democracies eroding?
—— Are we experiencing another formation of totalitarian and
   neo-fascist movements?
—— How can we assess the increasing political influence gained
   by current right-wing forces in a historical retrospective?
—— How resilient are the structures of the democratic state
   under the rule of law?

The conference is using historical insights as a backdrop and in-
vites participants to take a closer look at current anti-democratic
developments and their causes.

Day 1: Monday, 20.04.2020

From 09:00 AM Registration

10:00 – 10:15 AM Welcome address
Prof. Fabian Virchow (Head of the Research Centre on Right-Wing Ex-
tremism/neo-Nazism (FORENA) at the University of Applied Sciences
Düsseldorf)
Hanne Wurzel (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung / Leiterin
Fachbereich Extremismus)

10:15 – 12:00 AM Opening lectures
Fascism and National Socialism – retrospective and controversies
Regarding its politics of extermination, National Socialism was a
singularity. At the same time, the term Fascism is still used in histo-
rical scientific research for a comparative analysis of extreme right-
wing and nationalist movements. Where does the academic debate
on fascism stand today? How can the relation between fascism and
National Socialism be described adequately? Are there signs of a
neo-fascist return? Where are common grounds and differences
between historical fascist and Nazi movements and the current
agendas, structures and political practice of right-wing populists
and right-wing extremists?

10:15 – 10:45 AM Keynote I
Prof. Dr. Maurizio Bach (Universität Passau)
Insights of the comparative research on fascism

10:45 – 11:15 AM Keynote II
Prof. em. Dr. Karin Priester (Universität Münster)
Fascism, right-wing extremism and populism

11:15 – 12:00 AM Discussion
Moderation: Sandra Franz (NS-Dokumentationsstelle Villa
Merländer Krefeld)

12:00 – 13:30 PM    Lunch break

13:30 – 15:00 PM    Panels (parallel)
Not all right-wing movements are referring to predecessors and
role models from historical fascism. Nevertheless, they are unified
around an ideology consisting of an ultra-nationalistic core, that is
surrounded by further elements of authoritarian and anti-egalitari-
an ideologies. The lectures of the panels are focusing on

various regions of the world, where fascist tendencies or populist
and extreme right-wing actors are regaining strength and social
influence. Who are the driving forces of such developments? Which
social classes are supporting them? What kind of political objecti-
ves are formulated? Where do the social causes of the respective
developments lie?

A1) Brasil
Jair Bolsonaro a confessing right-wing extremist has taken over
the presidency in 2019. Is it possible to make comparisons to the
integralist regimes in the 1930s or the military dictatorships in the
second half of the 20th century? Is a new fascism arising in Brazil?

Input I
Dr. Saskia P. Ruth-Lovell (GIGA – Institut für Lateinamerika-Studien,
Hamburg)
Input II
Claudia Fix (Journalist, Berlin)
Moderation: Dr. Anke Hoffstadt (Historikerin, Düsseldorf)

A2) USA
In the US an authoritarian populist is in position of the president.
How can this development be explained? Which changes in the
social conditions and the party system are the basis of this social
change?

Input I
Dr. Philipp Adorf (Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn)
Input II
Dipl.-Pol. Ingar Solty (Rosa-Luxemburg Foundation, Berlin)
Moderation: Richard Gebhardt (Autor, Köln)

A3) Japan
Japan was part of the fascist Axis Powers. How can one describe
the relation between the current right-wing movement in Japan
and historical fascism? Which standing do these political forces
have in the nationalistic political culture of the country?

Input I
Katharina Dalko (Martin-Luther-University, Halle)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Reinhard Zöllner (Dept. of Japanology and Korean Studies,
University Bonn)
Moderation: Patricia Naumann (Historikerin, Düsseldorf)

A4) India
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is running the biggest democracy
in the world for some years now. For the aim of implementing a
Hindu-nationalist society, the party is drawing on violent extre-
me right-wing movements.

Input I
Dr. Pierre Gottschlich (Universität Rostock)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Achin Vanaik (University of Delhi)
Moderation: Gerhard Klas (Journalist)

A5) Russia
Despite the warring animosity to the German NS-regime, extreme
right-wing movements in Russia exist and the regime of Putin
is currently supporting right-wing nationalist parties in Europe.
Which interests are behind such developments?

Input I
Ute Weinmann (Journalistin, Moskau)
Input II
Natalia Yudina/Alexander Verkhovsky (SOVA Center, Moskau)
Moderation: Michael Fehrenschild (Autor, Köln)

A6) Turkey
The origin of Turkish right-wing extremism goes back into the
19th century. Currently, the radical right in Turkey is gaining influ-
ence. How is it acting and which goals is it pursuing?

Input I
PD Dr. habil. Gülistan Gürbey (Freie Universität Berlin)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Kemal Bozay (IUBH Internationale Hochschule, Düssel-
dorf)
Moderation: Ismail Küpeli (Historiker, Institut für Diaspora- und
Genozidforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

15:00 – 15:45 PM    Coffee break

15:45 – 17:45 PM     Panels (parallel)

B1) Germany and Austria
Both countries are connected through the Nazi past. An openly
positive reference to National Socialism was a taboo for a long
time. How did the ideas for the construction of a new political
force further to the right of conservatism evolve? Which influ-
ence do they have today and on what is the basis for this?

Input I
Nina Horaczek (Head reporter, ‚Falter‘, Wien)
Input II
PD. Dr. Gideon Botsch (Moses-Mendelssohn-Zentrum für euro-
päische Studien, Potsdam)
Moderation: Dr. Bernhard Weidinger (Dokumentationsarchiv des
österreichischen Widerstandes DÖW, Wien)

B2) Sweden and Denmark
While Denmark was under German occupation, Sweden officially
stayed neutral. In both societies pro-Nazi movements existed.
After the collapse of fascism, successes of right-wing populism
were seen in both countries for many years. What do right-wing
parties in Scandinavia have in common and what are differences
from a historical and a current point of view?

Input I
Prof. Dr. Eiríkur Bergmann (Bifrost University Island, Rejkjavik)
Input II
Dr. Anders Widfeldt (Aberdeen University)
Moderation: Dr. Jan Schedler (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)

B3) Italy and Spain
While the far-right in Italy is clearly showing political continui-
ties to the regime of Mussolini and gained a lot of influence, the
extreme right-wing forces in Spain were not that popular after
the regime of Franco collapsed. How can the relation of the
current right to the times of dictatorship be portrayed? Which
common ground is to be found between then and today?

Input I
Jordi Borràs (Fotojournalist, Barcelona)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Carlo Ruzza (University Trento, Italien)
Moderation: Dr. Mareen Heying (Fern-Universität Hagen)

B4) Poland und Hungary
In both countries, dealing with fascism and totalitarianism
has political significance. How do memory politics work
from a right-wing perspective? Which concepts are the
extreme right and the national-conservative right cur-
rently pursuing to undermine democratic basic rights and
democratic institutions?

Input I
Prof. Dr. Anna Wolff-Powęska (Zentrum für Historische For-
schung Berlin der Polnischen Akademie der Wissenschaften)
Input II
Dr. Dániel Róna (Corvinus University Budapest)
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Rafal Pankowski (Never Again Associa-
tion/Institute of Sociology of Collegium Civitas, Warschau)

B5) Czechia und Slovakia
After the division of the country, the political situation and
the party systems turned out very differently. What space is
the extreme right taking up right now? How is it positioned
regarding the history of the country? How does it intervene
in current political affairs?

Input I
Prof. Dr. Miroslav Mareš (Masaryk University, Brno)
Input II
Grigorij Mesežnikov (Institute for Public Affairs, Bratislava)
Moderation: Dr. Petra Guasti (Goethe Universität Frankfurt/
Main)

B6) Romania and Bulgaria
Romania and Bulgaria have lived to see successful extre-
me right-wing parties, that partly try to tie themselves to
historical role models. Which influence do they have in the
two societies?

Input I
Dr. Sorina Cristina Soare (Università degli Studi di Firenze,
Italien)
Input II
Dr. Tom Junes (Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at European
University Institute Florenz)
Moderation: Dr. Walter Daugsch (Heinrich Heine Universität
Düsseldorf)

B7) France and Great Britain
In both countries there are pro-fascist currents. How is the
current political right referring to history and which current
characteristics does it show?

Input I
Dr. Aaron Winter (University of East London)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Dietmar Loch (University Lille)
Moderation: Volkmar Wölk (Autor, Grimma)

17:45 – 18:00 PM    Break

18:00 – 19:00 PM
„Never again“ or „once again“?

In Europe, extreme right-wing and right-wing populist
parties have gained influence. Nationalism is serving as an
ideological bracket in order to turn insecurity and discont-
ent towards the culture of a flexible, globalized capitalism
into a policy of enemy images. How can one explain the
approval of right-wing political offers? Which consequences
does the gaining of political terrain of the far-right have
for European democracies? Is the social question in Europe
now being occupied by the right? Are we experiencing a
neo-fascist renaissance?

Prof. Dr. Dr. Günter Frankenberg (Goethe Universität
Frankfurt/Main)

19:00 – 20:00 PM Dinner

Day 2: Tuesday 21.04.2020

08:30 – 08:45 Introduction to the day
Alexander Häusler (FORENA)

08:45 – 10:00 PM Panel discussion
Weimar reloaded – is voelkish nationalism returning?
The failure of the first German democracy relates to the con-
tinuance of authoritarian and anti-democratic attitudes and
the willingness of conservative elites, to find an authoritarian
solution for the economic crisis undermining the democratic
pillars of the society actively. In recent debates some argue for
parallels between the present political situation and political
conditions of the late Weimar Republic. Do such comparisons
make sense? In which way does a historical perspective help to
understand today’s situation?

Keynote I
Prof. Dr. Ralf Ptak (Universität zu Köln)
Keynote II
Prof. Dr. Alex Demirovic (Goethe Universität Frankfurt/Main)
Moderation: Dr. Joachim Schröder (Research Centre on Right-
Wing Extremism/neo-Nazism (FORENA) at the University of
Applied Sciences Düsseldorf; Head of ‚Erinnerungsort Alter
Schlachthof‘ at the University of Applied Sciences Düsseldorf)

10:00 – 10:30 PM Coffee break

10:30 – 12:15 PM Panels (parallel)
Endangering of democratic culture

C1) Stability of democratic institutions
How can the relation of the judiciary and the executive power
to right-wing extremism be portrayed today? Are the institu-
tions stable against anti-democratic tendencies?

Input I
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Aden (Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht
Berlin)
Input II
Heike Kleffner (Autorin, Journalistin, Berlin)
Moderation: Richard Gebhardt (Autor, Köln)

C2) Social polarization
Are we currently experiencing a new political polarization? Where
are the political cleavages in different societal milieus? What are
the causes and reasons for an increasingly brutalized political
culture clash?

Input I
Prof. Dr. Silke van Dyk (Universität Jena)
Input II
Dr. Johannes Kiess (Universität Siegen)
Moderation: Helmut Kellershohn (Duisburger Institut für Sprach-
und Sozialforschung)

C3) Economy and crisis
How can we understand the connection between socio-economic
developments and the gaining of terrain by the far right? Is there
a reasoning connection between historical and current successes
of the radical right? Which impact might have another economic
crisis?

Input I
Horst Kahrs (Rosa- Luxemburg-Foundation, Berlin)
Input II
Dr. Ursula Stöger (Universität Augsburg)
Moderation: Tim Ackermann (DGB-Bildungswerk NRW)

C4) Culture and media
What significance does fascism currently have for a right-wing
conceptualization of culture? What is the relevance of media
and rhetoric as part of struggling for dominance in the cultural
sector?

Input I
Johannes Hillje (Politik- und Kommunikationsberater)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Joachim Knape (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen)
Moderation: Sabine Reimann (FORENA)

C5) Gender and sexuality
Attacking the discourse about gender is one of the main topics
of the extreme and populist right today. How can the connection
between racism and right-wing gender politics be described?

How can the cause and effect coherences between fascism, racism
and antifeminism be understood?

Input I
Prof. Dr. Ursula Birsl (Philipps Universität Marburg)
Input II
Dr. Johanna Sigl (Leuphana Universität Lüneburg)
Moderation: Prof. Dr. Christiane Leidinger (University of Applied
Sciences Düsseldorf)

C6) Immigration and identity constructions
How is right-wing racism intellectually fed? How does the discour-
se about national identity in immigration societies change under
right-wing influence?

Input I
Prof. Dr. Karim Fereidooni (Ruhr-Universität Bochum)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Susanne Spindler (HS Düsseldorf)
Moderation: Andrea Nepomuck (NS-Dokumentation Vogelsang)

C7) Discourse and resonance
The increasingly offensive performance of populist and extreme
right actors in public space but also in the parliamentary arena
does not aim only at intimidating democratic actors, but also
contributes massively to polarizing discourses. How can the poles
of anti-democratic and democratic publics be described? What are
reasonable answers and manners to deal with this situation?

Input I
Dr. Matthias Quent (IDZ Jena)
Input II
Prof. Dr. Gudrun Hentges (Universität zu Köln)
Moderation: Anna-Lena Herkenhoff (Mobile Beratung im Regie-
rungsbezirk Münster/Villa ten Hompel, Münster)

12:15 – 12:25 PM Break

12:30 – 13:00 PM Conference commentary
Prof. Dr. Beate Küpper (Hochschule Niederrhein)

13:00 PM Lunch and departure