The intensity and scope of protests against the government measures to reduce the spread of Covid-19 in Germany has surprised many observers. Self-stylized “lateral thinkers” have forged a coalition that encompasses far-right extremists but also anti-vaxxers who historically have aligned with the left. At both ends of the political spectrum, protesters seem to share a deep-seated distrust in government.
Join the American Council on Germany, Deutsches Haus at NYU, and NYU’s Center for European and Mediterranean Studies for a panel discussion about the Querdenker, their origins, and the likely future developments in an historic election year. This event will feature Pia Lamberty, Natascha Strobl, and Konstantin von Notz, and be moderated by Christian Martin.
Pia Lamberty is a psychologist and expert in the field of conspiracy ideologies. Her research took her to the universities of Cologne, Mainz and Beer Sheva (Israel). In May 2020, together with Katharina Nocun, she published “Fake Facts – Wie Verschwörungstheorien unser Denken bestimmen.”
Dr. Christian Martin (moderator) is a professor of political science at the University of Kiel, Germany. He currently holds the Max Weber Chair in German and European Studies at New York University. Christian Martin studied political science at the University of Konstanz and holds a doctorate from there (2002). He was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Konstanz and at the Max-Planck-Institute in Jena (2003–2004). He was an assistant professor at the University of Hamburg (2004–2008) and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Northwestern University (2008–2011). Christian Martin’s research interests focus on the political conditions and consequences of globalization and regional integration. He has published, inter alia, on the effects of globalization for electoral participation and on the incentive to adopt more proportional voting systems in a highly globalized environment. His current research project is on backlashes against globalization and EU integration, including the electoral success of the far right AfD and the demise of social democracy.
Natascha Strobl is co-author of the books „Die Identitären. Handbuch zur Jugendbewegung der Neuen Rechten in Europa“ and „Rechte Kulturrevolution. Wer und was ist die Neue Rechte von heute?“. She has also written numerous journal articles, book articles, and commentaries. She has given over 100 lectures on the topics of right-wing extremism, fascism, the New Right, and identitarians in Europe. Since 2018, she has been writing (ad hoc) analyses and classifications on Twitter under the hashtag #NatsAnalyse, in order to disseminate knowledge and information more quickly and immediately.
Dr. Konstantin von Notz is a member of the Alliance 90/The Greens in the German Bundestag, where he has served since 2009. Since the 19th term of the Bundestag, he has served as the Deputy Chairman of the Alliance 90/the Greens Parliamentary Group. He is a member of the Committee of Inquiry on the 2016 Christmas Market Attack (“Breitscheidplatz”) and Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Control Panel. During his time in the Bundestag, Dr. von Notz has held a number of committee assignments with central importance for issues involving technology, the internet, and privacy. He has been his party’s spokesman for the Committee on Political Strategy for the Internet, and during the 18 term of the Bundestag, he was spokesman of the Committee of Inquiry on NSA Surveillance. During the 17th term of the Bundestag, Dr. von Notz served as spokesman of the Study Commission on the Internet and Digital Society. Prior to entering the German Parliament, he studied law, earning his Ph.D. at the University of Heidelberg. He then practiced law as an attorney in Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein.
