Götz Kubitschek
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Götz Kubitschek (; born 17 August 1970) is a German publisher, journalist and
far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
political activist. He espouses
ethnocentric Ethnocentrism in social science and anthropology—as well as in colloquial English discourse—means to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices, behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of ...
positions and is one of the most important protagonists of the ''
Neue Rechte () is the designation for a right-wing political movement in Germany. It was founded as an opposition to the New Left generation of the 1960s. Its intellectually oriented proponents distance themselves from Old Right Nazi traditions and emphas ...
'' (New Right) in Germany. Hailing from the staff of right-wing newspaper '' Junge Freiheit'', Kubitschek is one of the founders of the Neue Rechte think tank '' Institut für Staatspolitik'' (Institute for State Policy; IfS). Since 2002, he is the manager of his self-founded publishing house ''Antaios'', since 2003 chief editor of the journal ''Sezession'', as well as editor of the corresponding blog ''Sezession im Netz''. He initiated several small-scale rightist political campaigns like the ''Konservativ-Subversive Aktion'' (KSA) and ''Ein Prozent für unser Land'' (One Percent For Our Country). According to observers, he was also instrumental in the conceptual consolidation of the German branch of the
Identitarian movement The Identitarian movement or Identitarianism is a Pan-European nationalism, pan-European nationalist, Ethnic nationalism, ethno-nationalist, Far-right politics, far-right ideological movement centred on the preservation of White people, white ...
, commonly viewed as
far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
. In 2015, he appeared several times as the main speaker at rallies of the anti-Islamic PEGIDA movement in the German state of
Saxony Saxony, officially the Free State of Saxony, is a landlocked state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Bavaria, as well as the countries of Poland and the Czech Republic. Its capital is Dresden, and ...
. Furthermore, he is in contact with
East German East Germany, officially known as the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (FRG) on 3 October 1990. Until 1989, it was generally vie ...
members of the right-wing populist
Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (, AfD, ) is a Far-right politics in Germany (1945–present), far-right,Far-right: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Right-wing populism, right-wing populist and National conservatism, national-conservative p ...
(AfD) party.


Personal life and early activities

Kubitschek was born in
Ravensburg Ravensburg ( or ; Swabian: ''Raveschburg'') is a city in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg. Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and ...
(German town in Baden-Württemberg). After leaving school in 1990 with
Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
, he did his military service with a
reconnaissance In military operations, military reconnaissance () or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, the terrain, and civil activities in the area of operations. In military jargon, reconnai ...
unit in nearby Weingarten. From 1992 to 1999, he studied in
Hanover Hanover ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Lower Saxony. Its population of 535,932 (2021) makes it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-l ...
and
Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...
to become a teacher in German, geography and philosophy, recording a CD with
Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
poems and songs during this time. Kubitschek joined the ''Deutsche Gildenschaft'', a völkisch-oriented association of student fraternities, like his later colleagues
Dieter Stein Dieter Stein (born 1967 in Ingolstadt) is a German journalist, publisher, editor-in-chief and founder of the right wing newspaper '' Junge Freiheit''. He is associated with the German New Right. Stein grew up in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg an ...
(founder of the newspaper '' Junge Freiheit'') and Karlheinz Weißmann. He was the ''Gildenschafts vice-president and spokesman for its active members. As of 2003, he states to have resigned from his membership.


Editor of ''Junge Freiheit''

In 1993, he was speaker at a ''Junge Freiheit'' summer school in
Ravensburg Ravensburg ( or ; Swabian: ''Raveschburg'') is a city in Upper Swabia in Southern Germany, capital of the district of Ravensburg, Baden-Württemberg. Ravensburg was first mentioned in 1088. In the Middle Ages, it was an Imperial Free City and ...
, headed by the far-right publisher Hans-Ulrich Kopp and organised clandestinely by a
FPÖ The Freedom Party of Austria (, FPÖ) is a political party in Austria, variously described as far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, and Eurosceptic. It has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021. It is the largest of five par ...
university students' association among others. His talk was about the Weimar-era national-revolutionary writer and right-wing activist
Ernst von Salomon Ernst von Salomon (25 September 1902 – 9 August 1972) was a German novelist and screenwriter. He was a Weimar-era national-revolutionary activist and right-wing Freikorps member. Family and education He was born in Kiel, in the Kingdom of Pr ...
. In early 1995, he was responsible for a special edition of ''Junge Freiheit'' about the writer
Ernst Jünger Ernst Jünger (; 29 March 1895 – 17 February 1998) was a German author, highly decorated soldier, philosopher, and entomology, entomologist who became publicly known for his World War I memoir ''Storm of Steel''. The son of a successful busin ...
, viewed by some as a mental precursor of the New Right. From June 1995 to January 1997, he was the JF's editor for security and military matters. He stayed close to the newspaper afterwards, writing many articles for JF's front page and cooperating with chief editor Stein for a special publication for JF's 20th anniversary in 2006. In 1996, Kubitschek, as part of an organisation founded by himself, participated in protests against the
Hamburg Institute for Social Research The Hamburg Institute for Social Research (; abbreviated HIS) is an independent private foundation whose scholarship is focused on both contemporary history and the social sciences. Founded in 1984 by Jan Philipp Reemtsma, it currently employs ...
's
exhibition An exhibition, in the most general sense, is an organized presentation and display of a selection of items. In practice, exhibitions usually occur within a cultural or educational setting such as a museum, art gallery, park, library, exhibiti ...
about the war crimes of the German Wehrmacht. In 2010, he took part in a memorial march for the victims of the Allied bombing of Dresden, dominated by neo-Nazis.


Deployment Abroad

From December 1997 to March 1998, Kubitschek, a reserve officer in the Army, served voluntarily with the
Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
as part of SFOR in
Bosnia Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...
. He was stationed in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...
as second lieutenant and led a platoon in "Operative Communications". After
Ernst Jünger Ernst Jünger (; 29 March 1895 – 17 February 1998) was a German author, highly decorated soldier, philosopher, and entomology, entomologist who became publicly known for his World War I memoir ''Storm of Steel''. The son of a successful busin ...
died in February 1998, he organised a reading of his works. Having returned to Germany, he published a book about his experiences in Bosnia together with a first lieutenant who was classified as a right-wing extremist by
military intelligence Military intelligence is a military discipline that uses information collection and analysis List of intelligence gathering disciplines, approaches to provide guidance and direction to assist Commanding officer, commanders in decision making pr ...
.


Family

Kubitschek is married to Ellen Kositza, his second wife, who also wrote for the JF. The couple has seven children and lives in Schnellroda Manor in the village of
Steigra Steigra is a municipality in the Saalekreis district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps t ...
(Saxony-Anhalt).


Founding political platforms

In 2000, Kubitschek and the gymnasium teacher Karlheinz Weißmann, another main protagonist of the Neue Rechte, founded the ''Institut für Staatspolitik'' (IfS; Institute for State Policy) to promote neo-rightist ideas and persons in material and non-material ways. Since 2003, the Institute publishes the bi-monthly journal 'Sezession', with Kubitschek as chief editor. Within the ''Neue Rechte'', the institution competes with the firmly Neo-Nazi ''Deutsches Kolleg'' (German College) and the more Christian-conservative ''Studienzentrum Weikersheim'' ( Weikersheim Centre of Studies). The IfS's style was linked to the "fascist ather coldstyle" of Armin Mohler, a
Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...
writer and publisher known for his work on the
Conservative Revolution The Conservative Revolution (), also known as the German neoconservative movement (), or new nationalism (),; . was a German national-conservative and ultraconservative movement prominent in Weimar Republic, Germany and First Austrian Republic, ...
. Kubitschek and Weißmann made the laudatory speech for Mohler's 80th birthday in 2000, and he was among the signatories for Mohler's obituary by his "friends and students" after his death in 2003, also making one of the speeches at his funeral. He resigned from managing the IfS in September 2008 in favour of Erik Lehnert, a philosopher. Since 2002, he has been managing the ''Antaios'' publishing house linked to the IfS.


Conflict with the Bundeswehr

On 16 August 2001, one day before his 31st birthday, Kubitschek, by then reserve first lieutenant, was dismissed from a training exercise in progress as he was charged with being "involved in
right-wing extremist Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...
endeavours" according to the Bundeswehr's Office of Personnel and as his "remaining in the Bundeswehr
ould Ould is an English surname as well as an element of many Arabic names. In Arabic contexts it is a transliteration of the word wikt:ولد, ولد, meaning "son". Notable people with this surname include: English surname * Edward Ould (1852–190 ...
seriously endanger military order and security among the troops." He had frequently written articles for ''Junge Freiheit'' which was at that time under observation by federal security agencies. As a response, the JF started a campaign in September 2001, appealing to the Bundeswehr to revoke its decision and protesting against categorising their activity as right-wing extremist. The Bundeswehr repealed its decision in the first half of 2002. The communication historian Lutz Hachmeister claimed that this was not due to the JF's appeal but due to possible legal problems. Kubitschek received no further promotions. He commented in 2008: "To be a soldier, you don't have to wear epaulettes; to serve the state, you don't have to be a state .e. publicservant."


Political position


Neo-rightist metapolitics

Kubitschek is seen as a spokesman for the ''
Neue Rechte () is the designation for a right-wing political movement in Germany. It was founded as an opposition to the New Left generation of the 1960s. Its intellectually oriented proponents distance themselves from Old Right Nazi traditions and emphas ...
''. While his companion
Dieter Stein Dieter Stein (born 1967 in Ingolstadt) is a German journalist, publisher, editor-in-chief and founder of the right wing newspaper '' Junge Freiheit''. He is associated with the German New Right. Stein grew up in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg an ...
, the JF's chief editor, has rejected the label ''Neue Rechte'' (New Right) as impractical, Kubitschek has actively used the term. Whereas Stein is said to favour developing the JF along the lines of a pragmatic national-conservatism, Kubitschek is closer to traditionally metapolitical views, supported by his colleagues Martin Lichtmesz and Manfred Kleine-Hartlage. His former companion Weißmann criticised him politically and personally in 2015. Helmut Kellershohn sees in his thinking an overlap of
Conservatism Conservatism is a Philosophy of culture, cultural, Social philosophy, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, Convention (norm), customs, and Value (ethics and social science ...
, the
Conservative Revolution The Conservative Revolution (), also known as the German neoconservative movement (), or new nationalism (),; . was a German national-conservative and ultraconservative movement prominent in Weimar Republic, Germany and First Austrian Republic, ...
and
Fascism Fascism ( ) is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement. It is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hie ...
. Kellershohn cites Filippo Marinetti, Gottfried Benn,
Ernst Jünger Ernst Jünger (; 29 March 1895 – 17 February 1998) was a German author, highly decorated soldier, philosopher, and entomology, entomologist who became publicly known for his World War I memoir ''Storm of Steel''. The son of a successful busin ...
and Primo de Rivera as influences.


Relationship with NPD

Members of the National Democratic Party (traditionally the most important of Germany's post-war far-right parties, usually categorised as
neo-Nazi Neo-Nazism comprises the post–World War II militant, social, and political movements that seek to revive and reinstate Nazism, Nazi ideology. Neo-Nazis employ their ideology to promote hatred and Supremacism#Racial, racial supremacy (ofte ...
) accused him of indulging in "intellectual self-gratification" and that he was part of the "
system A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its open system (systems theory), environment, is described by its boundaries, str ...
". Kubitschek had spoken dismissively about the NPD and its aim to "overcome the system": "What I got to know here in my region n Saxony-Anhalt state">Saxony-Anhalt.html" ;"title="n Saxony-Anhalt">n Saxony-Anhalt stateregarding NPD structures or proto-political structures, like Kameradschaften etc. [i.e. loosely-organised neo-Nazi gangs], this is – with due respect – beneath contempt and does not live up to their self-imposed aspirations of advancing Germany. It starts with manners, continues with their political models and their dangerous semi-knowledge, and ends with their outline of how to organise things after taking power. This competition about who may frame the most radical solution and the most radical view, is alien to me." His and the NPD's overlap are "pretty small", he said. Kubitschek's activities were deemed by ''Endstation Rechts'' (a Young Social Democrat watchdog of the far-right) to be "non-extremist" in 2010, but explicitly without excluding
historical revisionism In historiography, historical revisionism is the reinterpretation of a historical account. It usually involves challenging the orthodox (established, accepted or traditional) scholarly views or narratives regarding a historical event, timespa ...
. Nonetheless, Kubitschek gave an interview in the NPD paper ''Deutsche Stimme'' (German Voice) in 2008. In a talk at IfS, he stressed: "The way our state is composed now, it can hardly be stabilised. In its foundations, there are many inclusions that are corrupting the Nation. And through its current policies, it is destroying the substance of the German people, which is without ifs or buts the foundation of a German future." Uwe Backes, a researcher of
extremism Extremism is "the quality or state of being extreme" or "the advocacy of extreme measures or views". The term is primarily used in a political or religious sense to refer to an ideology that is considered (by the speaker or by some implied sha ...
, called the relationship with the NPD "elitist distance" in 2012. Likewise, Armin Pfahl-Traughber, another German scholar of extremism, said in 2008 that "the differences are less in their animosity towards the norms of the democratic constitutional state but more in regard to methods and target groups."


Relationship with AfD and German Republicans

Kubitschek said he worked for a short time in the early 2000s as an advisor for the
Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
section of the Republicans, a German far-right fringe party. In 2005, he accepted an invitation to the summer convention of their youth chapter at Mainz-Kostheim where he gave a talk amongst other members of European rightist parties like the Austrian
FPÖ The Freedom Party of Austria (, FPÖ) is a political party in Austria, variously described as far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, and Eurosceptic. It has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021. It is the largest of five par ...
and the Belgian ''
Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang (; ; VB) is a Flemish nationalist, Eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels Capital Region of Belgium. It is widely considered by the media and political analysts to be on the polit ...
''. Both Kubitschek and his wife applied for membership in the
Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...
section of the newly formed
AfD Alternative for Germany (, AfD, ) is a far-right,Far-right: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * right-wing populist and national-conservative political party in Germany. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), ...
party (variously termed
national-conservative National conservatism is a nationalism, nationalist variant of conservatism that concentrates on upholding National identity, national and cultural identity, communitarianism and the public role of religion. It shares aspects of traditionalist c ...
or
right-wing populist Right-wing populism, also called national populism and right populism, is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establishm ...
). This was approved on 27 January 2015 and their ID cards were issued on 5 February, but on 17 February, they were told by the party's federal secretary that their applications had been rejected. Kubitschek responded positively to the '' Erfurt Resolution'' by party right-wingers and state-level party chairmen
Björn Höcke Björn Uwe Höcke (born 1 April 1972) is a German politician of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. He is chair of the state branch of the AfD in Thuringia, that is classified as a right-wing extremist organization. Höcke led th ...
(
Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...
) and André Poggenburg (
Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...
) in March 2015, stating his support for this "neo-rightist ..assembly movement" within the party. Poggenburg approved Kubitschek's joining and criticised its revocation by the federal party board around Bernd Lucke. In November 2015, Kubitschek allowed Höcke to give a talk in Schnellroda that was available online for a short time and that was widely seen as racist. According to Pfahl-Traughber, Kubitschek is part of Höcke's "political friends", whose state party chapter facilitated "German-nationalist voices with clear orientations in a far-right direction." After the AfD's huge success at the Saxony-Anhalt state elections in 2016, Kubitschek was a guest at their election night event and was quoted as saying: "I can assure you that these pragmatists, now represented with 27 members in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament and with big groups in
Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...
and aden-
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...
, would very, very much like to adapt and politically realise some of the concepts, some of the topics, some of the expertise from our projects." In June 2016, he and his wife were guests at the so-called ''
Kyffhäuser The Kyffhäuser (,''Duden - Das Aussprachewörterbuch, 7. Auflage (German)'', Dudenverlag, sometimes also referred to as ''Kyffhäusergebirge'') is a hill range in Central Germany, shared by Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, southeast of the Harz mou ...
Meeting'' of the AfD's right wing around Höcke and Poggenburg.


Initiatives and events

Researcher Volker Weiss claimed Kubitschek had been "always more an
activist Activism consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived common good. Forms of activism range from mandate build ...
than an intellectual." According to the sociologist Alexander Häusler, he is "one of the authoritative actors of the action-oriented Right which tries to draw attention to right-wing politics with actions in the streets and provocations of völkisch content." He has been characterised as a " movement entrepreneur" and a "
demagogue A demagogue (; ; ), or rabble-rouser, is a political leader in a democracy who gains popularity by arousing the common people against elites, especially through oratory that whips up the passions of crowds, Appeal to emotion, appealing to emo ...
".


Conservative-Subversive Action

Kubitschek is known to adapt traditionally
leftist Left-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that support and seek to achieve social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy either as a whole or of certain social hierarchies. Left-wing politi ...
strategies and terminology. In 2007, he initiated the ''Konservativ-Subversive Aktion'' with only a few companions, its name being reminiscent of the 1960s West German far-left group ''Subversive Aktion''. Their tactics were aimed to spread its positions by offensive and spectacular actions. Well-publicised, provocant actions of KSA have been the disruption of a
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
convention of a socialist students' association in May 2008; of a speech by
Egon Krenz Egon Rudi Ernst Krenz (; born 19 March 1937) is a German former politician who was the last Communist leader of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) during the Revolutions of 1989. He succeeded Erich Honecker as the Secretary (title), ...
, a former GDR apparatchik, in June 2008; of a reading by
Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
-winning writer
Günter Grass Günter Wilhelm Grass (; 16 October 1927 – 13 April 2015) was a German novelist, poet, playwright, illustrator, graphic artist, sculptor, and recipient of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Literature. He was born in the Free City of Danzig (now Gda ...
in August 2008; of a discussion forum with Green politician Daniel 'Red Danny' Cohn-Bendit and moderate conservative
Armin Laschet Armin Laschet (; born 18 February 1961) is a German politician who served as Minister President of North Rhine-Westphalia from 27 June 2017 to 26 October 2021. He served as Leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) from 22 January 2021 t ...
in November 2009; and a demonstration in black shirts against chancellor Merkel's participation in a memorial service for the end of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
in
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
. According to political scientist Gideon Botsch (2012), Kubitschek's fascination with the "activism and voluntarism of radical left-wing currents" exerted a strong influence on the KSA. Karin Priester summed up in 2015 that the KSA's activities consisted of an "ineffective thirst for action reminiscent of student happenings". They are "far from the subcultural, national-revolutionary activism of the neo-fascist Casa Pound network in Italy."


Organising the ''zwischentag'' fair

For the 50th edition of his journal ''Sezession'', Kubitschek and Felix Menzel, chief editor of the right-wing youth magazine '' Blaue Narzisse'' (Blue Narcissus), organised the ''zwischentag'' (roughly: between-day, inter-day) fair that took place on 6 October 2012 in
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, attracting more than 700 visitors and many organisations, artists and businesses from the Neue Rechte orbit, including right-wing extremists. He continued the event in 2013, although the JF declined to have a stall there because of the inclusion of the Italian neo-fascist
Gabriele Adinolfi Gabriele Adinolfi is an Italian far-right ideologue and essayist. Adinolfi was involved in Terza Posizione, a short-lived far-right group founded in 1979. Like other neo-fascists of his generation, he saw his enemy as the far-left and the Italian ...
.


Promoting the Identitarians

In 2012, Kubitschek and Martin Lichtmesz, another ''Sezession'' author, attended the ''Convent international'' of the '' Bloc identitaire'' in Orange, France. In one of the first academic publications on the
Identitarian movement The Identitarian movement or Identitarianism is a Pan-European nationalism, pan-European nationalist, Ethnic nationalism, ethno-nationalist, Far-right politics, far-right ideological movement centred on the preservation of White people, white ...
in 2014, many of Kubitschek's projects, like the ''Sezession'' journal, the ''Antaios'' publishing house, the ''IfS'' think tank, the ''KSA'' activist group and the ''zwischentag'' fair, were mentioned as part of the wider Identitarian political and journalistic milieu. Another publication called him, Lichtmesz, and Menzel the central protagonists of the movement's German branch. The Lower Saxon Ministry of the Interior stated that Kubitschek "had campaigned for the Identitarians' goals in writing as well as on public events in the past". Volker Weiß claims that he was instrumental in spreading the concept in Germany.


Speaking at PEGIDA rallies

Kubitschek appeared in 2015 together with his family as the main speaker at three rallies of LEGIDA, PEGIDA's
Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...
offshoot. The first time together with Jürgen Elsässer, responsible for the conspiracist, Third Positionist magazine ''Compact''. Both activists stated that the rallies were also about "criticism of the olitical
system A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. A system, surrounded and influenced by its open system (systems theory), environment, is described by its boundaries, str ...
". In January, he presented a position paper on "Immigration and Identity", using ' integration' as a combat term after the sociologist Annette Treibel-Illian had proposed that, for integration in a
multi-cultural Multiculturalism is the coexistence of multiple cultures. The word is used in sociology, in political philosophy, and colloquially. In sociology and everyday usage, it is usually a synonym for ''ethnic'' or cultural pluralism in which various e ...
society, native people should also make an effort. Kubitschek also spoke as the main orator at PEGIDA rallies in
Dresden Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
, e.g. next to the Dutch right-wing populist
Geert Wilders Geert Wilders (born 6 September 1963) is a Dutch politician who has led the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV) since he founded it in 2006. He is also the party's leader in the House of Representatives. Wilders is best known for his right-wing p ...
. He stated to see himself as a kind of "middleman" between the PEGIDA movement's local branches. He also tried to find common ground with Elsässer at a ''Compact'' event. The scholar of far-right extremism Olaf Sundermeyer concluded from his call for "
civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizenship, citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be cal ...
" at a Dresden rally in autumn 2015 that he would elevate the " violent protest at Heidenau to an example for others". Although he distanced himself from violence, Pfahl-Traughber states that his "political rigorism" was obvious. Kubitschek, among others, is supposed to have provided PEGIDA supporters "with arguments for islamophobic and
xenophobic Xenophobia (from (), 'strange, foreign, or alien', and (), 'fear') is the fear or dislike of anything that is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression that is based on the perception that a conflict exists between an in-gr ...
discourse". Dresden-based political scientist Hans Vorländer claimed that he advocated " völkisch positions", making the Identitarians compatible with the political mainstream. Other experts called him a "mentor of PEGIDA" and that he "contributed massively to radicalise the racist PEGIDA movement". His appearances with PEGIDA have boosted his prominence significantly. In February 2015, Kubitschek appeared in Italy as a guest of
Matteo Salvini Matteo Salvini (; born 9 March 1973) is an Italian politician who has been serving as Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Italian Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport since 2022. He has been List of F ...
at a mass rally of his party, the right-wing populist, regionalist and xenophobic
Lega Nord Lega Nord (LN; ), whose complete name is (), is a right-wing politics, right-wing, federalism, federalist, populism, populist and conservatism, conservative list of political parties in Italy, political party in Italy. In the run-up to the 201 ...
, where he was introduced as a PEGIDA representative.


Initiating the ''EinProzent''

In 2015, he was among the founders of the association ''Ein Prozent für unser Land'' (One Percent For Our Country), together with ''Compact'' chief editor Jürgen Elsässer and constitutional lawyer and activist Karl Albrecht Schachtschneider. The organisation, proclaimed as a rightist
resistance movement A resistance movement is an organized group of people that tries to resist or try to overthrow a government or an occupying power, causing disruption and unrest in civil order and stability. Such a movement may seek to achieve its goals through ei ...
, is in close contact with the Identitarians around
Martin Sellner Martin Michael Sellner (born 8 January 1989) is an Austrian Right-wing politics, right-wing to far-right political activist, and leader of the Identitäre Bewegung Österreichs, Identitarian Movement of Austria, which he co-founded in 2012. He is ...
and is seen as part of the Neue Rechte. Being financed mainly through donations, it deals in publicity campaigns in online media. While the exterior seems respectable and mainstream-compatible, says sociologist Anna-Lena Lerkenhoff, there is often an "idealising and downplaying representation of racist protest". A well-publicised constitutional complaint " against the policy of mass immigration" (Kubitschek) was rejected by the
Constitutional Court A constitutional court is a high court that deals primarily with constitutional law. Its main authority is to rule on whether laws that are challenged are in fact unconstitutional, i.e. whether they conflict with constitutionally established ru ...
in 2016. After the terrorist attack in Berlin shortly before Christmas 2016, Kubitschek was present during a silent vigil with ''EinProzent'' in front of the
seat of government The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority". In most countries, the nation's Capital city, capital is also seat of its governmen ...
on 21 December. Identitarians and various AfD heads also attended. Several media commentators accused the participants of abusing post-terror mourning for political purposes.


Other appearances

Kubitschek frequently serves as a speaker at various events, e.g. in 2006 at the ''Preußische Akademie'' (Prussian Academy) of the ''Junge Landsmannschaft Ostpreußen'' (originally the youth branch of the association of Germans expelled from
East Prussia East Prussia was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia from 1772 to 1829 and again from 1878 (with the Kingdom itself being part of the German Empire from 1871); following World War I it formed part of the Weimar Republic's ...
, now classified as right-wing extremist), or with '' Burschenschaften'' (traditionalist student fraternities), esp. those of the ultra-conservative ''Burschenschaftliche Gemeinschaft''. In 2015, he spoke at the ''Burschentag'', a traditional fraternity convention in
Eisenach Eisenach () is a Town#Germany, town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia, and bordering northeastern Hesse, Hessian re ...
, Thuringia, together with Wilhelm Brauneder,
FPÖ The Freedom Party of Austria (, FPÖ) is a political party in Austria, variously described as far-right, right-wing populist, national-conservative, and Eurosceptic. It has been led by Herbert Kickl since 2021. It is the largest of five par ...
member and former president of the National Council of
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
. Furthermore, in 2011, Kubitschek appeared as a speaker at a readers' meeting of the ''Lesen & Schenken'' publishing house, owned by far-right extremist Dietmar Munier. In November 2016, Kubitschek was invited to a political panel discussion on 19 January 2017 at Municipal Theatre
Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...
, a decision which drew heavy criticism for legitimising him in the political arena. This would have been Kubitschek's first invitation to a discussion forum outside the far-right milieu and has been called an "accolade for such a muddled far-right ideologue" by
Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...
Minister-President Haseloff. After another invited participant, that State's Minister of the Interior Holger Stahlknecht (
Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
), bowed down to political pressure and retreated from the event, the discussion was cancelled due to the political "imbalance" thus created.


Reception

Roland Eckert, a
Trier Trier ( , ; ), formerly and traditionally known in English as Trèves ( , ) and Triers (see also Names of Trier in different languages, names in other languages), is a city on the banks of the Moselle (river), Moselle in Germany. It lies in a v ...
-based sociologist, stated in 2011 in a talk given at the ''Stiftung Demokratie Saarland'' (Foundation Democracy
Saarland Saarland (, ; ) is a state of Germany in the southwest of the country. With an area of and population of 990,509 in 2018, it is the smallest German state in area apart from the city-states of Berlin, Bremen, and Hamburg, and the smallest in ...
) that Kubitschek combines
Alain de Benoist Alain de Benoist ( ; ; born 11 December 1943), also known as Fabrice Laroche, Robert de Herte, David Barney, and other pen names, is a French political philosopher and journalist, a founding member of the ''Nouvelle Droite'' (France's European Ne ...
's ethnopluralism with ideas of Weimar- and Nazi-era legal philosopher
Carl Schmitt Carl Schmitt (11 July 1888 – 7 April 1985) was a German jurist, author, and political theorist. Schmitt wrote extensively about the effective wielding of political power. An authoritarian conservative theorist, he was noted as a critic of ...
and the contemporaneous biologist
Konrad Lorenz Konrad Zacharias Lorenz (Austrian ; 7 November 1903 – 27 February 1989) was an Austrian zoology, zoologist, ethology, ethologist, and ornithologist. He shared the 1973 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Nikolaas Tinbergen and Karl von ...
. Eckert concluded that Kubitschek's publications regarding immigration aim at an "offensive against Muslim immigrants". It is to be expected, he said, that Kubitschek's strategy would "inflame conflicts". Most of Kubitschek's books are published by ''Antaios'', e.g. ''Deutsche Opfer, fremde Täter'' (German victims, foreign offenders) about crime and ethnicity, a collaboration with Michael Paulwitz, deemed to be close to the Idenititarians. The book's political ideas (among them ''Deutschfeindlichkeit'', i.e. Germanophobia, associated with the far-right) are said to be close to the ''nationally liberated zone'' (a concept by the NPD's youth wing) and to the Italian
CasaPound CasaPound Italia (abbr. CPI; "House of zraPound") is an Italian neo-fascist movement. It was formerly a political party, born as a network of far-right social centres arising from the occupation of a state-owned building by squatters in th ...
movement. The book project is viewed as an example how "a combination of national-conservative and far-right discourses is attempted". Kellershohn claimed that Kubitschek's book ''Provokation'' (2007) would develop the "ideological background" for the IfS's envisioned "strategy of seizing entalterritory" by imagining a 'proto-civil war' in a progressing multicultural society. Kellershohn sees the text as one of the foundational ones for the Identitarians. Some of Kubitschek's articles were published in other rightist media like the quarterly journal ''Neue Ordnung'' (New Order), published by Wolfgang Dvorak-Stocker, once a co-editor of ''Sezession''. The Documentary Archive of the Austrian Resistance views them as right-wing extremist. In an op-ed for ''Christ und Welt'' (Christ and World), a
Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
supplement for the '' Zeit'' newspaper, political scientist Christiane Florin judges Kubitschek's and his wife's publications to be far-right. The
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
-based sociologist Armin Nassehi published a correspondence of him and Kubitschek in 2015, in which he called him a "right-wing intellectual" and his publishing house national-conservative. Volker Weiß criticised this categorisation as misconceiving his position as being close to classical conservativism which is far from what "Kubitschek's set" espouses. Kubitschek just wants so become socially acceptable through "'conservative' interview partners" and Nassehi facilitated this strategy.


Selected works

Monographs * with Peter Felser (1999): '' Raki am
Igman Igman ( sr-cyrl, Игман, ) is a mountain plateau in central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Geologically, Igman is part of the Dinaric Alps and formed largely of secondary and tertiary sedimentary rock, mostly Limestone. It is located southwest of S ...
. Texte und Reportagen aus dem Bosnien-Einsatz der Bundeswehr'' aki at the Igman. Texts and reports from the Bundeswehr mission in Bosnia Stuttgart: Edition die Lanze. (Reprint (2001): Bad Vilbel: Edition Antaios.) * (2006): ''20 Jahre Junge Freiheit. Idee und Geschichte einer Zeitung'' Junge Freiheit. Idea and history of a newspaper">0 Years of Junge Freiheit. Idea and history of a newspaper Schnellroda: Edition Antaios. * (2007): ''Provokation'' rovocation Schnellroda: Edition Antaios. * with Michael Paulwitz (2011): ''Deutsche Opfer, fremde Täter. Ausländergewalt in Deutschland. Hintergrund – Chronik – Prognose'' erman Victims, Foreign Offenders. Immigrant Violence in Germany. Background – Chronology – Forecast Schnellroda: Edition Antaios. * (2016): ''Die Spurbreite des schmalen Grats''. ''Texte 2000-2016'' he width of the fine line. Texts 2000-2016 Schnellroda: Verlag Antaios. Editorship * with Karlheinz Weißmann, Ellen Kositza (eds.) (2000): ''Lauter dritte Wege. Armin Mohler zum Achtzigsten''
Third Way The Third Way is a predominantly centrist political position that attempts to reconcile centre-right and centre-left politics by advocating a varying synthesis of Right-wing economics, right-wing economic and Left-wing politics, left-wing so ...
s. For Armin Mohler's Eightieth birthday. Bad Vilbel: Edition Antaios. * with Erik Lehnert (2009): '' Joachim Fernau. Leben und Werk in Texten und Bildern'' [Joachim Fernau. Life and Work in Texts and Pictures">:de:Joachim Fernau">Joachim Fernau. Leben und Werk in Texten und Bildern'' [Joachim Fernau. Life and Work in Texts and Pictures Schnellroda: Edition Antaios. * with Ellen Kositza (eds.) (2015): ''Tristesse Droite. Die Abende von Schnellroda'' [Tristesse Droite. The Schnellroda Evenings]. Schnellroda: Verlag Antaios. Conversations * (2004): ''Und plötzlich ist alles politisch. Im Gespräch mit Brigadegeneral Reinhard Günzel (general), Reinhard Günzel'' [And suddenly everything is political. In conversation with brigadier-general Reinhard Günzel]. Schnellroda: Edition Antaios. * (2006): ''Unsere Zeit kommt. Im Gespräch mit Karlheinz Weißmann'' ur Time Is Coming. In conversation with Karlheinz Weißmann Schnellroda: Edition Antaios. * (2007): ''Deutschland auf Augenhöhe. Im Gespräch mit Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof'' ermany at eye level. In conversation with Gerd Schultze-Rhonhof Schnellroda: Edition Antaios. Contributions * (1994): "
Ernst von Salomon Ernst von Salomon (25 September 1902 – 9 August 1972) was a German novelist and screenwriter. He was a Weimar-era national-revolutionary activist and right-wing Freikorps member. Family and education He was born in Kiel, in the Kingdom of Pr ...
". In: Michael Hageböck (ed.): ''JF-Sommeruniversität 1993 in Ravensburg'' F summer school, Ravensburg 1993 Potsdam: Junge Freiheit, pp. 209 ff. * (2008): "Preußen! Und nun?" russia! And now? In: Heiko Luge (ed.): ''Grenzgänge. Liber amicorum für den nationalen Dissidenten Hans-Dietrich Sander zum 80. Geburtstag'' order crossings. Liber amicorum for the 80th birthday of national dissident Hans-Dietrich Sander Graz: Ares-Verlag, pp. 242 ff.


See also

*
Neue Rechte () is the designation for a right-wing political movement in Germany. It was founded as an opposition to the New Left generation of the 1960s. Its intellectually oriented proponents distance themselves from Old Right Nazi traditions and emphas ...
* PEGIDA * German far-right * Junge Freiheit * Armin Mohler


References


Bibliography

* Anna-Lena Herkenhoff (2016): "Neurechte Netzwerke und die Initiative 'Ein Prozent für unser Land'" eo-rightist Networks and the Initiative »One Percent For Our Country« In: Alexander Häusler, Fabian Virchow (eds.): ''Neue soziale Bewegung von rechts? Zukunftsängste. Abstieg der Mitte. Ressentiments – Eine Flugschrift'' ew Social Movement From the Right? Anxieties about the Future. Social Decline. Resentment – A Pamphlet Hamburg: VSA, pp. 73–83. * Helmut Kellershohn: "Provokationselite von rechts: Die Konservativ-subversive Aktion" rovocatory Elite From the Right: The 'Konservativ-Subversive Aktion'(2010). In: Regina Wamper, Helmut Kellershohn, Martin Dietzsch (eds.): ''Rechte Diskurspiraterien. Strategien der Aneignung linker Codes, Symbole und Aktionsformen'' ightist Discourse Piracies. Strategies of Appropriating Leftist Codes, Symbols and Forms of Action Münster: Unrast, pp. 224–240. * Marc Felix Serrao: "Der kalte Blick von rechts: Götz Kubitschek will der Anführer einer neuen konservativen Bewegung sein – seine Gegner nennen ihn einen Salonfaschisten und fürchten seine aggressiven Aktionen" he Cold Look From the Right. Götz Kubitschek Wants to Be the Leader of a New Conservative Movement – His Enemies Call Him a Drawing-Room Fascist and Fear His Aggressive Actions(2008), ''ProjektArbeit'' 7/2, pp. 50–55.


External links


Kubitschek
s profile at ''Verlag Antaios'' publishing house.
Sezession
– neo-rightist journal co-founded by Kubitschek.

at the German National Library. * . Note: Erroneously includes unrelated works from the 18th century. * Mathias Brodkorb
''Götz Kubitschek: Der Faschist vom Rittergut Schnellroda?''
(''Götz Kubitschek: The Fascist from Schnellroda Manor?''). Profile at Endstation Rechts, a watchdog of the far-right, 5 November 2008. * Katja Riha, Clemens Riha (eds.)
''Auf dem Rittergut. Eine Begegnung mit Deutschlands Neuen Rechten''
(''At the Manor. An Encounter with Germany's New Right''). Segment for Kulturzeit (a culture magazine at
3sat 3sat (, ''Dreisat'') is a free-to-air German-language public service television channel. It is a generalist channel with a cultural focus and is jointly operated by public broadcasters from Germany ( ZDF, ARD), Austria ( ORF) and Switzerlan ...
TV), 15 August 2011. * Armin Pfahl-Traughber
''Neurechter Provokateur''
(''Neo-rightist provocateur''). ''Ideologische und strategische Auffassungen eines "Legida"– und "Pegida"– Redners. Ein erneuter Blick in Götz Kubitscheks Buch "Provokation"'' (''Ideological and strategic conceptions of a LEGIDA and PEGIDA speaker. A renewed view into Götz Kubitschek's book "Provokation"''). Blick nach Rechts (''Eye on the Right'', a SPD-affiliated info website on the far-right), 19 February 2016 (fee required). {{DEFAULTSORT:Kubitschek, Gotz 1970 births Living people Conservatism in Germany German activists German journalists German military personnel of the Bundeswehr German nationalists German publishers (people) Identitarian movement New Right (Europe) Pegida activists People from Ravensburg