On the Threats to Democracy Today Compared to the Weimar RepublicIs a New »1933« on the Horizon?

The dramatic rise of the AfD has led many to wonder whether the Berlin Republic is increasingly coming to resemble the Weimar Republic in its crisis-ridden final years. Particularly in light of the new political balance of power in Saxony-Anhalt, the question has been raised: Is a new January 30, 1933, looming? Anyone who answers this question in the negative quickly faces the accusation of underestimating the gravity of the situation. The following essay does not dispute that German democracy faces a serious challenge that is graver than previous waves of right-wing extremism, which have included the National Socialist Party’s successor party, the SRP; the NPD; the Republicans; or other far-right political groupings.