#rp26 speaker Annika Brockschmidt & Katharina Nocun: The codes of the far-right

In the US, authoritarian and fascist codes have long been part of public communication – disguised as patriotism, tradition, ‘just a joke’ or ‘common sense’. 

Why are language and memes such powerful political tools when it comes to shifting red lines?

We will discuss this at re:publica 26! Annika Brockschmidt and Katharina Nocun decipher the codes of the extreme right and talk about their historical roots.

Annika Brockschmidt is a freelance author, historian and co-host of the podcast Feminist Shelf Control. Her book ‘Amerikas Gotteskrieger’ (America's Holy Warriors), about the power of the religious right in the United States, was a bestseller in 2021. It was followed in 2024 by ‘Die Brandstifter: Wie Extremisten die Republikanische Partei übernahmen’ (The Arsonists: How Extremists Took Over the Republican Party).

Katharina Nocun is an author and political scientist. Her podcast ‘Denkangebot’ was nominated for the Grimme Online Award in 2020. In 2021, she published her second book with Pia Lamberty, ‘True Facts – Was gegen Verschwörungserzählungen wirklich hilft’ (True Facts – What Really Helps Against Conspiracy Narratives). This was followed in 2022 by ‘Gefährlicher Glaube – Die radikale Gedankenwelt der Esoterik’ (Dangerous Belief – The Radical World of Esoteric Thought).