Verfassungsschutzbericht 1999

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Verfassungsschutzbericht 1999 Federal Ministry of the Interior of the Federal Republic of Germany 2005 Annual Report on the Protection of the Constitution Organisational Data.................................................................8 I. Organisational data pursuant to Section 16 (2) of the Federal Act on the Protection of the Constitution (Bundesverfassungsschutzgesetz, BVerfSchG)........................................................................................................8 1. Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) ..................................8 2. Military Counterintelligence Service (MAD).........................................................8 II. Other organisational data.................................................................................8 Democracy and Protection of the Constitution ..........................9 I. Protection of the Constitution under the Basic Law......................................9 II. Offices for the Protection of the Constitution: Tasks and powers .............11 III. Supervision of the authorities responsible for the protection of the Constitution.....................................................................................................13 IV. Annual Report on the Protection of the Constitution ..................................14 V. Protection of the Constitution through information and awareness..........15 Politically motivated crime .................................................... 18 I. Defining politically motivated crime..............................................................18 II. Politically motivated crimes...........................................................................19 III. Politically motivated crime with an extremist background, by category ...........................................................................................................20 1. Right-wing crime with an extremist background................................................20 2. Left-wing crimes with an extremist background.................................................30 Contents - 3 - Right-Wing Extremist Activities.............................................. 42 I. Overview.......................................................................................................... 42 1. Ideology ............................................................................................................ 42 2. Developments within right-wing extremism....................................................... 43 3. Organisations and following.............................................................................. 45 4. Periodical publications ...................................................................................... 48 II. Right-wing extremists with a propensity to violence .................................. 49 1. Violent right-wing extremist following................................................................ 49 2. Right-wing terrorism.......................................................................................... 49 3. Right-wing extremist skinheads ........................................................................ 51 III. Neo-Nazism ..................................................................................................... 60 IV. Political parties ............................................................................................... 66 1. Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD, National-Democratic Party of Germany) ............................................................................................ 66 2. Deutsche Volksunion (DVU, German People’s Union) ..................................... 86 3. Die Republikaner (REP, The Republicans)....................................................... 95 V. Efforts to foster intellectual right-wing extremism.................................... 102 VI. Anti-Semitism ............................................................................................... 106 VII. International connections ............................................................................ 114 1. Events with international participation............................................................. 114 2. Attempts to form extra-parliamentary alliances with European organisations .................................................................................................. 116 3. International revisionism ................................................................................. 117 VIII. Unaffiliated publishing houses and distributors ....................................... 121 IX. Right-Wing Extremism on the Internet ....................................................... 126 - 4 - Contents Left-Wing Extremist Activities.............................................. 128 I. Overview ........................................................................................................128 1. Left-wing extremist developments...................................................................128 2. Organisations and following ............................................................................131 3. Publishers, distributors and periodicals...........................................................133 II. Violent left-wing extremism .........................................................................135 1. Autonomists ....................................................................................................136 2. Traditional anarchists ......................................................................................148 III. Political parties and other groups ...............................................................150 1. Die Linkspartei.PDS (The Left Party.PDS)......................................................150 2. Deutsche Kommunistische Partei (DKP, German Communist Party) and associated groups ...........................................................................................165 3. Marxistisch-Leninistische Partei Deutschlands (MLPD, Marxist-Leninist Party of Germany)...........................................................................................171 4. Trotskyist groups.............................................................................................173 5. Rote Hilfe e. V. (RH, Red Aid, reg'd society)..................................................176 IV. Areas of activity ............................................................................................179 1. Anti-fascism.....................................................................................................179 2. Campaign against “dismantling the welfare state”...........................................183 3. Campaign by left-wing extremists against nuclear energy ..............................184 4. Anti-globalisation movement ...........................................................................186 Islamist / Islamist Terrorist Activities .................................. 188 I. Overview ........................................................................................................188 1. Developments within Islamism ........................................................................188 2. Organisations and followers............................................................................191 II. International Islamist terrorism....................................................................192 Contents - 5 - 1. Current developments .................................................................................... 192 2. Al-Qaeda (The Base)...................................................................................... 194 3. Regional mujahidin groups ............................................................................. 196 4. Non-aligned mujahidin .................................................................................... 200 5. Public statements ........................................................................................... 202 III. Islamism ........................................................................................................ 205 1. Of Arab origin ................................................................................................. 205 2. Of Turkish origin ............................................................................................. 213 3. Others............................................................................................................. 222 IV. Overview of measures taken by the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI) under the law on associations........................................................... 228 Activities by Extremist Foreigners that Endanger the Security of the State (excluding Islamism) ................... 231 I. Overview........................................................................................................ 231 1. Developments within foreign extremism (excluding Islamism)....................... 231 2. Organisations and followers ........................................................................... 233 II. Goals and main activities of individual groups ......................................... 235 1. Turks (excluding Kurds).................................................................................. 235 2. Kurds .............................................................................................................. 244 3. Iranians..........................................................................................................
Recommended publications
  • Executive Intelligence Review, Volume 14, Number 24, June 12, 1987
    AIDS WILL CHANGE THE WORLD'S ECONOMY, AND DRASTICALLY. Surgeon General Koop and former White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan said fighting AIDS with anything more than condoms and dirty pictures given to school children was "cost-prohibitive." Now, the Everest-high cost of fighting AIDS is going to transform the economies of virtually every nation on Earth. It will be spent, because there is no choice but to spend it. �ITill How to reverse the economic policy blunders that led to 'Irangate' QUARTERLY CONTENTS • An international financial blow-out: ECONOMIC the real story behind 'Irangate' • The technology-driver of the new economic upsurge: REPORT the. forty- year Mars-colonization project • The explosive impact of AIDS on the world economy EIR Ouarterly Economic Report Make check or money order payable to: First 51,000 annual subscriptron Executive Intelligence Review 5250 single issue. P.O. Box 17390 Quarter Washington, D.C. 20041·0390 1987 Founder and Contributing Editor: Lyndon H. LaRouche. Jr. Editor-in-chief: Criton Zoakos Editor: Nora Hamerman Managing Editors: Vin Berg and Susan Welsh Contributing Editors: Uwe Parpart-Henke. Nancy Spannaus. Webster Tarpley. From the Editor Christopher White. Warren Hamerman. William Wertz. Gerald Rose. Mel Klenetsky. Antony Papert. Allen Salisbury Science and Technology: Carol White Special Services: Richard Freeman Advertising Director: Joseph Cohen Circulation Manager: Joseph Jennings As this number of EIR goes to press, President and Nancy Reagan INTELLIGENCE DlRECI'ORS: have arrived in Venice, where the President and Treasury Secretary Africa: Douglas DeGroot. Mary Lalevee Agriculture: Marcia Merry James Baker III are scheduled to take part in what is called a "sum­ Asia: Linda de Hoyos Counterintelligence : Jeffrey Steinberg.
    [Show full text]
  • Statusbericht Zur Kernenergienutzung in Der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2019
    Statusbericht zur Kernenergienutzung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2019 Abteilung Nukleare Sicherheit und atomrechtliche Aufsicht in der Entsorgung Ines Bredberg Johann Hutter Andreas Koch Kerstin Kühn Katarzyna Niedzwiedz Klaus Hebig-Schubert Rolf Wähning BASE-KE-01/20 Bitte beziehen Sie sich beim Zitieren dieses Dokumentes immer auf folgende URN: urn:nbn:de:0221-2020092123025 Zur Beachtung: Die BASE-Berichte und BASE-Schriften können von den Internetseiten des Bundesamtes für die Sicherheit der nuklearen Entsorgung unter http://www.base.bund.de kostenlos als Volltexte heruntergeladen werden. Salzgitter, September 2020 Statusbericht zur Kernenergie- nutzung in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland 2019 BASE Abteilung Nukleare Sicherheit und atomrechtliche Aufsicht in der Entsorgung Ines Bredberg Johann Hutter Andreas Koch Kerstin Kühn Katarzyna Niedzwiedz Klaus Hebig-Schubert Rolf Wähning Inhalt ABKÜRZUNGSVERZEICHNIS ......................................................................................................................... 6 1 ELEKTRISCHE ENERGIEERZEUGUNG IN DEUTSCHLAND .............................. 11 1.1 ALLGEMEINES .................................................................................................................................. 11 1.2 DAS ERNEUERBARE-ENERGIEN-GESETZ .................................................................................... 12 1.3 AUSSTIEG AUS DER STROMERZEUGUNG DURCH KERNENERGIE ......................................... 12 1.3.1 Stand der Atomgesetzgebung in Deutschland ..................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Code of Conduct (Verhaltenscodex)
    1 Code of conduct (Verhaltenscodex) Unser Unternehmen zeichnet sich durch eine aktive Haltung gegen Diskriminierung aus. Als Teil unseres Unternehmens fordern wir alle Mitarbeiter*innen dazu auf, einen Beitrag zum Abbau von Vorurteilen und Vorbehalten gegenüber ethnischen, nationalen oder religiösen Minderheiten zu leisten. Im Sinne des Antidiskriminierungsgesetzes (AGG) sind alle unsere Mitarbeiter*innen zu einem wertschätzenden und respektvollen Umgang miteinander angehalten. Ein weltoffenes Klima ohne Ausländerfeindlichkeit ist Teil unserer Firmenpolitik. Als Mitarbeiter*in sind Sie deswegen dazu aufgefordert, entsprechend des Grundsatzes der Nichtdiskriminierung und der Gleichbehandlung alle unmittelbaren und mittelbaren Diskriminierungen aufgrund der ethnischen Herkunft, Abstammung, Religion, Nationalität oder der sexuellen Orientierung sowie Belästigungen, Mobbing und fremdenfeindliche Handlungen zu verhindern bzw. zu unterlassen. Als Mitarbeiter*in des Unternehmens 1. verpflichte ich mich dazu, die freiheitlich demokratische Grundordnung anzuerkennen und die darin vertretenden Werte in Gesellschaft und Betriebsleben zu verkörpern. 2. verpflichte ich mich dazu, alle Betroffenen, mit denen ich zusammenarbeite (eingeschlossen Menschen aus Krisengebieten und Schutzsuchenden), fair und mit Respekt, höflich, würdig und übereinstimmend mit den Gesetzen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, internationalem Recht und ortsüblichen Regeln zu behandeln. 3. verpflichte ich mich, insbesondere Straftaten, die mit einer rechtsextremistischen Haltung
    [Show full text]
  • Asylum-Seekers Become the Nation's Scapegoat
    NYLS Journal of International and Comparative Law Volume 14 Number 2 Volume 14, Numbers 2 & 3, 1993 Article 7 1993 TURMOIL IN UNIFIED GERMANY: ASYLUM-SEEKERS BECOME THE NATION'S SCAPEGOAT Patricia A. Mollica Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/ journal_of_international_and_comparative_law Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Mollica, Patricia A. (1993) "TURMOIL IN UNIFIED GERMANY: ASYLUM-SEEKERS BECOME THE NATION'S SCAPEGOAT," NYLS Journal of International and Comparative Law: Vol. 14 : No. 2 , Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.nyls.edu/journal_of_international_and_comparative_law/vol14/iss2/ 7 This Notes and Comments is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@NYLS. It has been accepted for inclusion in NYLS Journal of International and Comparative Law by an authorized editor of DigitalCommons@NYLS. TURMOIL IN UNIFIED GERMANY: ASYLUM-SEEKERS BECOME THE NATION'S SCAPEGOAT I. INTRODUCTION On November 9, 1989, the Berlin Wall fell, symbolizing the end of a divided German state. The long dreamed-of unification finally came to its fruition. However, the euphoria experienced in 1989 proved ephemeral. In the past four years, Germans have faced the bitter ramifications of unity. The affluent, capitalist West was called on to assimilate and re-educate the repressed communist East. Since unification, Easterners have been plagued by unemployment and a lack of security and identity, while Westerners have sacrificed the many luxuries to which they have grown accustomed. A more sinister consequence of unity, however, is the emergence of a violent right-wing nationalist movement. Asylum- seekers and foreigners have become the target of brutal attacks by extremists who advocate a homogenous Germany.
    [Show full text]
  • German Jewish Refugees in the United States and Relationships to Germany, 1938-1988
    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO “Germany on Their Minds”? German Jewish Refugees in the United States and Relationships to Germany, 1938-1988 A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy in History by Anne Clara Schenderlein Committee in charge: Professor Frank Biess, Co-Chair Professor Deborah Hertz, Co-Chair Professor Luis Alvarez Professor Hasia Diner Professor Amelia Glaser Professor Patrick H. Patterson 2014 Copyright Anne Clara Schenderlein, 2014 All rights reserved. The Dissertation of Anne Clara Schenderlein is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically. _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ Co-Chair _____________________________________________________________________ Co-Chair University of California, San Diego 2014 iii Dedication To my Mother and the Memory of my Father iv Table of Contents Signature Page ..................................................................................................................iii Dedication ..........................................................................................................................iv Table of Contents ...............................................................................................................v
    [Show full text]
  • German Divergence in the Construction of the European Banking Union
    The End of Bilateralism in Europe? An Interest-Based Account of Franco- German Divergence in the Construction of the European Banking Union Honorable Mention, 2019 John Dunlop Thesis Prize Christina Neckermann May 2019 M-RCBG Associate Working Paper Series | No. 119 The views expressed in the M-RCBG Associate Working Paper Series are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government or of Harvard University. The papers in this series have not undergone formal review and approval; they are presented to elicit feedback and to encourage debate on important public policy challenges. Copyright belongs to the author(s). Papers may be downloaded for personal use only. Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business & Government Weil Hall | Harvard Kennedy School | www.hks.harvard.edu/mrcbg The End of Bilateralism in Europe?: An Interest-Based Account of Franco-German Divergence in the Construction of the European Banking Union A thesis presented by Christina Neckermann Presented to the Department of Government in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree with honors Harvard College March 2019 Table of Contents Chapter I: Introduction 3 Statement of question and motivation - 3 Banking Union in the era of postcrisis financial reforms - 6 Outline of content and argument - 11 Chapter II: Theoretical Approach 13 Review of related literature - 13 Proposed theoretical framework - 19 Implications in the present case - 21 Methodology - 26 Chapter III: Overview of National Banking Sectors
    [Show full text]
  • ESS9 Appendix A3 Political Parties Ed
    APPENDIX A3 POLITICAL PARTIES, ESS9 - 2018 ed. 3.0 Austria 2 Belgium 4 Bulgaria 7 Croatia 8 Cyprus 10 Czechia 12 Denmark 14 Estonia 15 Finland 17 France 19 Germany 20 Hungary 21 Iceland 23 Ireland 25 Italy 26 Latvia 28 Lithuania 31 Montenegro 34 Netherlands 36 Norway 38 Poland 40 Portugal 44 Serbia 47 Slovakia 52 Slovenia 53 Spain 54 Sweden 57 Switzerland 58 United Kingdom 61 Version Notes, ESS9 Appendix A3 POLITICAL PARTIES ESS9 edition 3.0 (published 10.12.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Denmark, Iceland. ESS9 edition 2.0 (published 15.06.20): Changes from previous edition: Additional countries: Croatia, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden. Austria 1. Political parties Language used in data file: German Year of last election: 2017 Official party names, English 1. Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs (SPÖ) - Social Democratic Party of Austria - 26.9 % names/translation, and size in last 2. Österreichische Volkspartei (ÖVP) - Austrian People's Party - 31.5 % election: 3. Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) - Freedom Party of Austria - 26.0 % 4. Liste Peter Pilz (PILZ) - PILZ - 4.4 % 5. Die Grünen – Die Grüne Alternative (Grüne) - The Greens – The Green Alternative - 3.8 % 6. Kommunistische Partei Österreichs (KPÖ) - Communist Party of Austria - 0.8 % 7. NEOS – Das Neue Österreich und Liberales Forum (NEOS) - NEOS – The New Austria and Liberal Forum - 5.3 % 8. G!LT - Verein zur Förderung der Offenen Demokratie (GILT) - My Vote Counts! - 1.0 % Description of political parties listed 1. The Social Democratic Party (Sozialdemokratische Partei Österreichs, or SPÖ) is a social above democratic/center-left political party that was founded in 1888 as the Social Democratic Worker's Party (Sozialdemokratische Arbeiterpartei, or SDAP), when Victor Adler managed to unite the various opposing factions.
    [Show full text]
  • The German Energiewende – History and Status Quo
    1 The German Energiewende – History and Status Quo Jürgen‐Friedrich Hake,1) Wolfgang Fischer,1) Sandra Venghaus,1) Christoph Weckenbrock1) 1) Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institute of Energy and Climate Research ‐ Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation (IEK‐STE), D‐52425 Jülich, Germany Executive Summary Industrialized nations rely heavily on fossil fuels as an economic factor. Energy systems therefore play a special part in realizing visions of future sustainable societies. In Germany, successive governments have specified their ideas on sustainable development and the related energy system. Detailed objectives make the vision of the Energiewende – the transformation of the energy sector – more concrete. Many Germans hope that the country sets a positive example for other nations whose energy systems also heavily rely on fossil fuels. A glance at the historical dimensions of this transformation shows that the origins of German energy objectives lie more than thirty years in the past. The realization of these goals has not been free from tensions and conflicts. This article aims at explaining Germany’s pioneering role in the promotion of an energy system largely built on renewable energy sources by disclosing the drivers that have successively led to the Energiewende. To reveal these drivers, the historical emergence of energy politics in Germany was analyzed especially with respect to path dependencies and discourses (and their underlying power relations) as well as exogenous events that have enabled significant shifts in the political energy strategy of Germany. Keywords Energy transition, energy policy, energy security, nuclear power, renewables, Germany Contribution to Energy, 2nd revision 4/14/2015 2 I Introduction In light of the global challenges of climate change, increasing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, the depletion of natural resources and political instabilities, the transition of national energy systems has become a major challenge facing energy policy making in many countries [e.g., Shen et al., 2011, Al‐Mansour, 2011].
    [Show full text]
  • Different Shades of Black. the Anatomy of the Far Right in the European Parliament
    Different Shades of Black. The Anatomy of the Far Right in the European Parliament Ellen Rivera and Masha P. Davis IERES Occasional Papers, May 2019 Transnational History of the Far Right Series Cover Photo: Protesters of right-wing and far-right Flemish associations take part in a protest against Marra-kesh Migration Pact in Brussels, Belgium on Dec. 16, 2018. Editorial credit: Alexandros Michailidis / Shutter-stock.com @IERES2019 Different Shades of Black. The Anatomy of the Far Right in the European Parliament Ellen Rivera and Masha P. Davis IERES Occasional Papers, no. 2, May 15, 2019 Transnational History of the Far Right Series Transnational History of the Far Right Series A Collective Research Project led by Marlene Laruelle At a time when global political dynamics seem to be moving in favor of illiberal regimes around the world, this re- search project seeks to fill in some of the blank pages in the contemporary history of the far right, with a particular focus on the transnational dimensions of far-right movements in the broader Europe/Eurasia region. Of all European elections, the one scheduled for May 23-26, 2019, which will decide the composition of the 9th European Parliament, may be the most unpredictable, as well as the most important, in the history of the European Union. Far-right forces may gain unprecedented ground, with polls suggesting that they will win up to one-fifth of the 705 seats that will make up the European parliament after Brexit.1 The outcome of the election will have a profound impact not only on the political environment in Europe, but also on the trans- atlantic and Euro-Russian relationships.
    [Show full text]
  • The Kpd and the Nsdap: a Sttjdy of the Relationship Between Political Extremes in Weimar Germany, 1923-1933 by Davis William
    THE KPD AND THE NSDAP: A STTJDY OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POLITICAL EXTREMES IN WEIMAR GERMANY, 1923-1933 BY DAVIS WILLIAM DAYCOCK A thesis submitted for the degree of Ph.D. The London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London 1980 1 ABSTRACT The German Communist Party's response to the rise of the Nazis was conditioned by its complicated political environment which included the influence of Soviet foreign policy requirements, the party's Marxist-Leninist outlook, its organizational structure and the democratic society of Weimar. Relying on the Communist press and theoretical journals, documentary collections drawn from several German archives, as well as interview material, and Nazi, Communist opposition and Social Democratic sources, this study traces the development of the KPD's tactical orientation towards the Nazis for the period 1923-1933. In so doing it complements the existing literature both by its extension of the chronological scope of enquiry and by its attention to the tactical requirements of the relationship as viewed from the perspective of the KPD. It concludes that for the whole of the period, KPD tactics were ambiguous and reflected the tensions between the various competing factors which shaped the party's policies. 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE abbreviations 4 INTRODUCTION 7 CHAPTER I THE CONSTRAINTS ON CONFLICT 24 CHAPTER II 1923: THE FORMATIVE YEAR 67 CHAPTER III VARIATIONS ON THE SCHLAGETER THEME: THE CONTINUITIES IN COMMUNIST POLICY 1924-1928 124 CHAPTER IV COMMUNIST TACTICS AND THE NAZI ADVANCE, 1928-1932: THE RESPONSE TO NEW THREATS 166 CHAPTER V COMMUNIST TACTICS, 1928-1932: THE RESPONSE TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES 223 CHAPTER VI FLUCTUATIONS IN COMMUNIST TACTICS DURING 1932: DOUBTS IN THE ELEVENTH HOUR 273 CONCLUSIONS 307 APPENDIX I VOTING ALIGNMENTS IN THE REICHSTAG 1924-1932 333 APPENDIX II INTERVIEWS 335 BIBLIOGRAPHY 341 4 ABBREVIATIONS 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Kennzeichen Und Symbole Der Rechtsextremen Szene
    Bausteine der Prävention von Rechtsextremismus und Gruppenbezogener Menschenfeindlichkeit in der beruflichen Bildung Nr. 6 Eine Handreichung für Demokratie und Vielfalt Kennzeichen und Symbole der rechtsextremen Szene OSZ für Demokratie und Vielfalt informieren argumentieren handeln www.demokratieundvielfalt.de Kennzeichen und Symbole der rechtsextremen Szene (Auswahl)1 Vorwort Wir unterstützen, begleiten und beraten seit über zehn Jahren mit dem Projekt „Berliner Oberstufenzentren für Demokratie und Vielfalt“ Berufsschulen und andere Einrichtungen der beruflichen Bildung bei Ihrem Engagement gegen Rechtsextremismus, Diskriminierung und religiös begründetem Extremismus. In diesem Rahmen veröffentlichen wir auch diese Handreichung. Sie gibt einen Überblick über die in der rechtsextremen Szene verwendeten Codes, Symbole und Lifestyle-Produkte. Insbesondere im Bereich des „Lifestyle“ sind diese immer wieder Wandlungen unterworfen, weshalb diese Übersicht alle zwei Jahre überarbeitet und aktualisiert wird. Die Handreichung, insbesondere das Kapitel 7 „Lifestyle-Produkte“, soll auch als Anlage für Hausordnungen für allgemein- und berufsbildende Schulen dienen, die das Tragen und Verbreiten von rechtsextremen Symbolen und Lifestyle-Produkten auf dem Schulgelände untersagen. Dazu haben wir auch ein gesondertes Dokument zum Download von unserer Website erstellt. Wir bieten auch eine Fortbildung für Pädagog/inn/en und Lehrer/innen in der beruflichen Bildung zum Thema „Rechtsextremen Symbole und Erscheinungsformen“ an. Das Dokument, das Buchungsformular
    [Show full text]
  • Asatru – a Religion of Nature?
    chapter 6 Asatru – A Religion of Nature? Critiques of monotheism, the promotion of polytheism, and the related dis- course on Nordic myth frequently work on the assumption that polytheism, and thus Paganism, is closer to nature and more conducive to ecological ideals than monotheisms. In comparison, monotheism and/or Christianity are seen as inimical to both natural human drives and to the natural environment. Such ideas can be traced back to theories of Germanic or Indo-European religion as fertility cults with a more intimate relation to nature than ‘desert religions,’ which allegedly originate in arid, infertile climates. These theories intersected with Romanticism’s revaluation of nature as a metaphor for the primordial, unspoiled, and pure.1 They were taken up positively in the primitivist neo- Romantic currents around 1900, which in turn inspired new, alternative reli- gions. Since then, ideas about a Pagan and Nordic nature spirituality have developed a remarkable productivity. They have influenced Western percep- tions of nature and the natural within ecological and new spiritual movements and beyond. This is evident in the fact that many people today experience nature as a realm for spiritual, or at least uplifting, experiences. Equally widespread is the idea that Christianity or monotheism, with its mandate to ‘subdue the earth,’ is responsible for the destruction of the natural environment, whereas Paganism sees nature as animated, and thus supposedly treats it with more respect. Over the last few decades, environmentalism and environmental spiritual- ity have enjoyed a reputation as being progressive. Therefore, the widespread self-understanding of Asatru as a ‘religion of nature’ is much less controversial than the issues of ethnicity and concepts of religion with which it intersects.
    [Show full text]