Völkisch nationalism

German nationalist ideology From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Völkisch nationalism (German: Völkischer Nationalismus [ˈfœlkɪʃɐ natsi̯onaˈlɪsmʊs], lit. 'Folkish nationalism') is a German far-right^[1] ultranationalist, ethno-nationalist and/or racial nationalist^[2]^[3] ideology. It assumes the essentialist design as Völker (lit. "peoples") or Volksgruppen (lit. "ethnic groups"), which are described as closed ethnic-biological and ethnic-cultural units within a hierarchy of such populations. Völkisch nationalism influenced Japanese minzoku nationalism.^[4]

At times, Völkisch nationalism was a broad and predominant ideological view in Central Europe, represented in numerous nationalist, typically explicitly antisemitic and other racist associations of all kinds with many publications and well-known personalities. It differentiates itself from the Völkisch movement by being a more vague and not inherently antisemitic ideology. Today, particularly in Germany, ethnopluralism is viewed as standing in the same tradition as Völkisch nationalism.^[5]

History

1871–1945

Towards the end of the 19th century, the movement gained influence over the political and cultural debate in Central Europe. Its historical significance was found in its own nationalism, especially in the German Reich.^[6] The Völkisch movement, to which the German national associations such as the DNVP and the NSDAP belonged.^[7]

The NSDP – whose party organ was the Völkischer Beobachter – rejected the Weimar Constitution and represented Völkische Gemeinschaftlichkeitskonzepte (lit. "ethnic [German] concepts of community"). The biological and cultural homogeneity of the "Volk" as a "Abstammungsgemeinschaft" (lit. "community of descent") and the "exclusion or destruction of the heterogeneous" were invoked. Völkische (lit. "nation", "ethnic") concepts such as "Volkstum", "Lebensraum" and above all "Volksgemeinschaft" were widespread in large parts of the German population and especially within the "Fatherland Camp", thus an integral part of the Nazi programming.

German Protestantism is considered to be its social support and its "necessary ideal condition".^[6] From an ideological perspective, the "bourgeois-Protestant mentality" has become increasingly German-Völkisch since the Reichsgründung (lit. "Establishment of the Reich"). A nationally charged Protestantism of the Reich thus led to the Nazi concept of the German Christians.^[8]

1945–present

From the postwar era to today, Völkisch nationalism is rejected by the mainstream German political circles. But with the rise of National conservatism, right-wing populism, Völkisch nationalism and the Neue Rechte during the 2010s and as of the 2020s,^[9] young conservatives became more likely to support far-right and hard-right parties such as the Alternative for Germany (AfD).^[10]^[11] The AfD particularly became successful among the region of East Germany within the states that were a part of the German Democratic Republic.^[12] The Völkisch faction of the AfD is largely lead by those such as Björn Höcke, Andreas Kalbitz, André Poggenburg, Jan Wenzel Schmidt and Jean-Pascal Hohm.^{[citation needed]}

Characteristics

Völkisch nationalism means the rise of their own Volks defined by common descent, culture and language, and the desire for a homogeneous population by excluding foreigners. The people become a collective subject. It forms a hierarchical value of the Völker.^[13]

German social scientist Helmut Kellershohn [de] calls seven core elements of a Völkisch nationalism:^[14]

The equality of "Volk" or "nation". The idea of a homogeneous "nation" according to racist criteria.
The rise of the "Volk" to a collective subject in the sense of ethnic groups and the subordination of specific interests under the primacy of the "Volksgemeinschaft".
The justification of a "strong state" that organizes the Volksgemeinschaft through "national" elites and/or charismatic leadership.
The heroization of the "decent Volksgenosse" who puts himself in the service of his community with body and soul and brings for these sacrifices.
the Völkisch (lit. "national") or racist construction of an "internal (state) enemy" responsible for setbacks in the realization of the Volksgemeinschaft, has an identity-building and consensus-building function as a negative projection area for the Volksgemeinschaft.
A biopolitical understanding of the Volkskörper (lit. "national body") that wants to keep or make it healthy and strong through population policy.
A chauvinistic idea of power.

Völkisch nationalist groups

Current

Defunct

References

[1]
R. O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism, 2004, p.37

A. Hitler, Mein Kampf. Eine kritische Edition, C. Hartmann, T. Vordemayer, O. Plöckinger, R. Töppel, P. Trees, A. Reizle, M. Seewald-Mooser, Munich–Berlin 2016, p. 1168

Uwe Puschner, VÖLKISCHE WELTANSCHAUUNG UND BEWEGUNG

Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung Rechtsextremismus

Armin Pfahl-Traughber Rechtsextremismus in Deutschland Eine kritische Bestandsaufnahme, Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden 2019, p. 41

R. O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism, 2004, p.37
[2]
Roger Griffin (2005), Völkischer Nationalismus als Wegbereiter und Fortsetzer des Faschismus. Ein angelsächsischer Blick auf ein nicht nur deutsches Phänomen.
[3]
Tom Reiss (15 February 2005). The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life. Random House Publishing Group.
[4]
Ryôta Nishino (2011). Changing Histories: Japanese and South African Textbooks in Comparison (1945–1995). V&R Unipress. p. 26.
[5]
Roland Sieber (2016), Von "Unsterblichen" und "Identitären". In: Stephan Braun, Alexander Geisler, Martin Gerster (Hrsg.): Strategien der extremen Rechten: Hintergründe – Analysen – Antworten.
[6]
Frank Unger (2010), Demokratie und Imperium: die Vereinigten Staaten zwischen Fundamentalismus, Liberalismus und Populismus. Würzburg p. 175.
[7]
Walker, D. P. (1979). "The German Nationalist People's Party: The Conservative Dilemma in the Weimar Republic". Journal of Contemporary History. 14 (4): 627–647. ISSN 0022-0094.
[8]
Frank-Michael Kuhlemann (2002) Bürgerlichkeit und Religion. p. 305.
[9]
Siehe z. B.: Jürgen W. Falter, Hans-Gerd Jaschke, Jürgen R. Winkler (Hrsg.): Rechtsextremismus. Ergebnisse und Perspektiven der Forschung (= Politische Vierteljahresschrift, Sonderheft 27/1996). Opladen 1996, passim; Glossar der Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, Lemma Ethnopluralismus, siehe: , vom 3. Februar 2014.
[10]
"The Rise of Germany's New Right". FRONTLINE | PBS | Official Site | Documentary Series. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
[11]
Lochocki, Timo (10 June 2025). "The kids are all right: What Germany's conservative turn means for Europe – European Council on Foreign Relations". ECFR. Retrieved 1 June 2026. Germany's federal election in February shattered political precedent: a far-right party, the Alternative for Germany, surged into second place for the first time in the federal republic's history and a newly elected chancellor broke a longstanding taboo by signalling a willingness to cooperate with them." "These developments reflect a broader shift. Younger conservatives are more likely to embrace hardline policies and far-right parties; their opinions are less influenced by Germany's post-war legacy and the Holocaust. This is pushing the new government towards more nationalistic domestic policies and a more assertive foreign policy.
[12]
Schuetze, Christopher F. (25 February 2025). "The Iron Curtain Casts a Long Shadow Over Germany's Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 1 June 2026.
[13]
Brigitte Bailer-Galanda (1994), Wolfgang Neugebauer: Handbuch des österreichischen Rechtsextremismus, p. 36.
[14]
Helmut Kellershohn (1994), Das Projekt Junge Freiheit. Eine Einführung: Das Plagiat. Der Völkische Nationalismus der Jungen Freiheit. p. 17–50.
[15]
Häusler, Alexander (2016). Die Alternative für Deutschland: Programmatik, Entwicklung und politische Verortung. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. ISBN 978-3-658-10637-9.; Heinrich August Winkler, zitiert von David Bebnowski: Die Alternative für Deutschland. VS Verlag, 2015, ISBN 978-3-658-08286-4, S. 28.
[16]
Walker, D. P. (1979). "The German Nationalist People's Party: The Conservative Dilemma in the Weimar Republic". Journal of Contemporary History. 14 (4): 627–647. doi:10.1177/002200947901400404. ISSN 0022-0094. JSTOR 260179.