GERM 288 The Neo-Nazi Movement

Decades after the fall of Nazi Germany, there is a growing concern that the spirit of Nazism still lives on. The Neo-Nazi movement continues to exist in Germany. A recent report revealed that one out of twenty 15-year-old boys belong to a Neo-Nazi group. Neo-Nazism is not an exclusively German phenomenon, though - we find similar developments in other European countries in Canada and in the U.S. This course will track the activities of Neo-Nazis in Germany from 1990 to the present. We will analyze the impact of unification on the growth of right wing militancy throughout Germany, and examine examples of Neo-Nazi and skinhead activities, as well as the efforts of various governments to control this movement. A key question will be why exactly young people between the ages of 15 and 30 are drawn to these groups that often use and develop sophisticated networks. Finally, the question will be asked as to what the most effective means of combating these movements would, or should, be. This course is not open to first year students.