Right-wing extremism in East Germany - specificity or ossification?

Categories for a multi-level analytical approach

Abstract

Based on a current case in the federal state of Brandenburg, the article argues for a region-specific, historical-reconstructive analysis of extreme right-wing manifestations. In summary, it traces how the discourse on right-wing extremism in East Germany has developed since the early 1990s. Taking a critical look at the 'Brown East' as a discourse does not mean dismissing the violence and structures associated with it, as documented by research and monitoring, as an invention. Rather, a specific feature of extreme right-wing manifestations in East Germany can be traced. At the same time, the simultaneity of two phenomena must be taken into account: The sweeping pejorative talk about 'the East' and the associated relief for the West. The article asks what conditions research should take into account in order to enable a differentiated thematization of the extreme right in East and West Germany. It proposes categories for researching right-wing extremism that enable a case-specific multi-level analysis and thus attempt to adequately reflect geographical-historical and current developments. The aim is to move beyond deterministic and one-sided attributions of the 'Brown East'; at the same time, specifics can be examined and findings identified.