The New Germany S03E06: Extremism: Defending Democracy in Past and Present

Geschichte ist Gegenwart! Der History & Politics Podcast der Körber-Stiftung

  • Geschichte
  • Politik
  • Demokratie
  • 50 Min.
  • 72. Episode

Season 3, episode 6 of our six-part series The New Germany with historian Katja Hoyer and journalist Oliver Moody deals with the vulnerability of democratic systems against extremism. After the Second World War, the defense of democracy was written into the German Constitution. However, today, the democratic system in Germany is confronted with rising extremism and polarisation in society. How has Germany dealt with various forms of extremism in the past? How can democracy be defended today? And what lessons can we learn from the end of the Weimar Republic in 1933 for dealing with extremism today?

Guest: Frank McDonough, Historian and Author

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“I think that, if you like democracy and you favor it, I think you’ve really got to get out there and fight for it. Because I think it’s a fragile thing, I think democratic systems are quite fragile. They can be overthrown, you know, quickly. And there doesn’t seem to be the kind of willingness to get out on the street and try and fight for it.”

Frank McDonough

Historian and author

Artwork: Geschichte ist Gegenwart! Der History & Politics Podcast der Körber-Stiftung

Geschichte ist Gegenwart! Der History & Politics Podcast der Körber-Stiftung

Warum Geschichte immer Gegenwart ist, besprechen wir mit unseren Gästen im History & Politics Podcast. Wir zeigen, wie uns die Geschichte hilft, die Gegenwart besser zu verstehen.

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