Interview & Announcement
‘Taking a Stand Against the Far Right’ – How can educational institutions defend democratic values?
Representative image: Getting involved // Photo: Colourbox/#66479714*
At the University of Wuppertal, Dr René Breiwe and Florian Monstadt are organising the cross-campus series of events, which, as a hybrid format, is also aimed at interested parties from outside the university.
In this interview, the two research assistants from the Institute for Educational Research explain the idea behind the series of events, the specific contributions they hope to make towards a strong democracy through their research and teaching, and what taking a stand against the far right might look like in practice.
All the dates and topics for the series of events, as well as information on how to take part, can be found in the event leaflet (PDF download).
The “EINMISCHEN” series of events is now entering its fifth instalment this winter term. What originally prompted you to launch the series, and why do you think it is particularly important today to address the influence of the far right in education, upbringing and care work?
Rene Breiwe: The impetus came in early 2024 from the Correctiv investigation into the Potsdam meeting, at which far-right figures from politics and activism discussed racist deportation plans. Colleagues from the University of Siegen then sought to organise a discussion, and we in Wuppertal were happy to take part. Many of us conduct research critical of discrimination and had long focused primarily on subtle, structural forms of discrimination – now it is re-emerging in an overt and targeted manner. Together with the University of Siegen, Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences and the University of Duisburg-Essen, we launched EINMISCHEN 2024; the Ruhr University Bochum and the University of Education Freiburg have since joined us.
We take a broad view of the ‘far right’: from right-wing conservative grey areas to openly neo-Nazi scenes, all linked by their rejection of equality and human rights. This is not a marginal phenomenon, but is also evident in everyday practices and structures, such as in everyday and institutional racism. At the same time, education, upbringing and care work are targets of far-right strategies.
Florian Monstadt: One example of this is the debate on neutrality: the demand for neutrality is intended to depoliticise schools and political education and to delegitimise approaches that are critical of racism and promote diversity. Neutrality must not mean accepting positions that are hostile to humanity. We therefore want to empower students and professionals to recognise such strategies and take a stand.
What specific challenges do people working in educational institutions and pedagogical fields face, and what do they need to find the courage to take a stand?
René Breiwe: Anyone working in education is never outside the context of social inequalities. Racism and ableism shape schools, nurseries and social work as structural conditions – for example, in decisions on support or transitions – and this is precisely where far-right positions come into play. Added to this is what Paul Mecheril describes as the ‘fascistisation’ of social conditions: the primacy of a particular entity – the ‘people’ – is treated as an absolute, and it has become the norm to associate migration with threat and crime. This shapes those we serve, teaching staff and education policy, and many professionals are unsure whether they are allowed to take a stand. Yet the mandate is clear: Legislation such as the Basic Law, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and school laws (in theory) commit us to human dignity, equal treatment and inclusion. Education is therefore entangled in discriminatory conditions whilst at the same time being tasked with changing them.
Florian Monstadt: Taking a stand therefore means not only opposing overtly far-right actors, but also challenging the well-established structures, social logics and positions that currently enjoy widespread support. This requires knowledge and support from management, governing bodies and colleagues, as well as spaces where uncertainties can be acknowledged and courses of action developed collectively. We aim to raise awareness of these interconnections through our teaching at the University of Wuppertal and beyond with the ‘EINMISCHEN’ series.
For over two years now, the series has been bringing together diverse perspectives from academia, teaching and practice, taking place across multiple campuses in a hybrid format. What makes this exchange across different university campuses particularly valuable for those involved?
Florian Monstadt: No single campus or discipline alone can capture the complexity of far-right influence. EINMISCHEN brings together perspectives from primary and special needs education, social work, general educational science, educational research and political science. Some of us conduct research into the far right, whilst others focus on discrimination and power relations. It is precisely this combination of perspectives that sharpens our awareness of overt attacks as well as the structural conditions to which they are linked.
The exchange between the different sites is also valuable. Whether it’s parliamentary questions or attacks on campus: much of what happens at one site is familiar to others too. With the University of Education Freiburg, we also gain a perspective from another federal state. In this way, we recognise patterns rather than isolated cases and develop responses together.
René Breiwe: Anyone who takes a stand against existing power structures and far-right influence easily comes under pressure. In such situations, it can be helpful to draw on the experiences of colleagues from other sites. Furthermore, contacts are forged that can facilitate collaboration and strengthen solidarity.
The hybrid format is also intended to open up the series beyond the universities and, in principle, enables teachers, social workers and political educators to take part. We want to further expand this exchange between academia and so-called practice. With EINMISCHEN, we aim not only to discuss research findings amongst ourselves, but also to share them. We invite people working in educational professions to contribute their experiences and, where relevant, their concerns arising from their day-to-day work.
What can the series achieve this winter term?
Florian Monstadt: The series offers the opportunity to make an informed assessment of current developments, without the need for prior knowledge and with low barriers to entry online. It is not only about openly far-right actors, but also about societal shifts: the normalisation of ideologies that do not regard people or social groups as equal, the questioning of communal, supportive or civil society action, and the erosion of human rights principles. This affects not only schools and social work, but also many people within their families, neighbourhoods, clubs or workplaces.
What topics have you planned?
René Breiwe: This winter term, the focus will initially be on institutions: Wilhelm Heitmeyer has had a significant influence on research into right-wing extremism through his concept of ‘group-focused enmity’ and the long-term study ‘Deutsche Zustände’. Here, he analyses the authoritarian national radicalism of the AfD, which aims to bring about systemic change by destabilising institutions.
Dirk Michel-Schertges (Aarhus), a sociologist of education who completed his PhD in Wuppertal, asks who the ‘freedom’ of authoritarian deinstitutionalisation is intended for. Both lectures will take place as part of the colloquium organised by Prof. Dr Fabian Kessl from the Institute of Educational Science here in Wuppertal.
Cologne-based media artist Marie Köhler, who explores the ‘white hero*ine complex’ and German colonial history, brings an artistic perspective to the discussion: her focus is on the power of images and language from the viewpoint of critical whiteness.
Max Ahrens and Maik Lüdemann from Nashorn Filmhaus KG will present and discuss their film ‘Kein Land für Niemand’ as a way of contextualising the political migration debate between isolationism and racism.
There will also be insights into the ForDiSens research project (University of Jena), which focuses on the design and analysis of teacher training programmes aimed at strengthening sensitivity to diversity and combating discrimination.
The event series has now also given rise to the anthology ‘Einmischen gegen Rechts. Extrem rechte Interventionen als Herausforderung für Bildung’ (Taking a Stand Against the Far Right: Far-Right Interventions as a Challenge for Education). What content has been included in it?
Florian Monstadt: We invited speakers from the first two event series to contribute to the anthology and are delighted that we were able to secure such diverse, yet equally fascinating, contributions. The influence exerted by far-right actors is multi-layered and highly complex. Even though, as outlined in the introduction, there are targeted strategic efforts, it would be an oversimplification to assume that all interventions from the far-right camp are centrally controlled. Much of it operates through normalisation and well-established structures.
The various contributions in this volume therefore clearly illustrate just how multifaceted the challenge is for the field of education and for our democratic society as a whole. The contributions therefore range from an analysis of right-wing disinformation in the digital sphere, through conspiracy ideologies in social spaces, to calls for neutrality and points of intervention within social work. The contribution from Hungary is also particularly fascinating; it uses the Hungarian case to analyse the impact of right-wing populist government action in this field – unfortunately, the connection to recent state election results is all too obvious.
You aim not only to inform people about far-right strategies, but also to encourage them to take action. What opportunities do you see for translating the academic findings into educational and social practice?
Florian Monstadt: As academics, describing and analysing the situation is, of course, the first logical step. In our view, however, it is important that we do not limit ourselves to this, or even withdraw from it. These attacks affect us directly, even if we are not all equally affected by them in our everyday lives. Attempts at intimidation by the far right, as reported by colleagues from other universities, are merely one particularly prominent form of this.
René Breiwe: With EINMISCHEN, we are therefore reaching out not only to university staff, but also to students as future teachers and social workers, to professionals and to the interested public. Alongside lectures, there are panel discussions that provide space for questions and exchange, and the freely accessible anthology makes the content available beyond the event dates. We do not view this as a one-way street from academia to so-called practice: experiences from schools and social work also help to sharpen our questions.
In your opinion, what needs to change in the long term within the contexts of education, upbringing and care?
René Breiwe: We do not view EINMISCHEN as a one-off intervention, but as a structural requirement of democratic educational work, as is also made clear in the conclusion of the anthology. Far-right influences deliberately seek to shift institutional routines, professional self-conceptions and normative interpretative frameworks. What is therefore needed is a continuous, critical engagement with power relations and processes of normalisation in education and society, underpinned by legal and institutional safeguards.
Florian Monstadt: This concerns, for example, clarifying that taking a clear stand against positions that are hostile to human rights and democracy does not conflict with a supposed requirement for neutrality, as well as binding protective measures for teachers, early years practitioners, social workers and political educators when they come under pressure.
This is about more than just protection from attacks. When far-right positions become embedded in everyday practices and structures, these too must change – for example, in decisions on funding and the financing of democratic educational structures. Furthermore, there is a need for professionalisation that is critical of power structures and discrimination, which is embedded in training, degree programmes and continuing professional development, and does not depend on the commitment of individuals. And there is a need for time and spaces in which teams can reflect on their own routines. In this way, institutions would not merely react to attacks, but would themselves offer fewer points of entry.
In the long term, therefore, both are needed: institutional support and the dismantling of discriminatory structures in schools, nurseries, social work and universities.
* The rights to use the Colourbox image are held by the University of Wuppertal. It is not licensed for publication by third parties.
