Anti-fascist press archive and education center Berlin

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The anti-fascist press archive and education center Berlin eV ( apabiz ) is an initiative against right-wing extremism based in Berlin . The affiliated archive collects information from the area of right-wing extremism . It is a member of the Antifa-Net . International Antifascist Network for Research and Action .

Organization and objectives

The association has been operated since 1991 by the association of the same name apabiz eV. The goals of the association are presented on the website as follows:

We promote and network initiatives against racism, anti-Semitism and neo-fascism. Our offer is aimed at everyone who is confronted with right-wing extremist violence, neo-fascist organization, racist attacks or the spread of ethnic and inhumane ideologies. Countering the resurgence of these ideologies requires determination, creativity - and knowledge.

The association, which emerged from an initiative of the same name that arose in Berlin in 1985, has set itself the task of systematically viewing, collecting and archiving publications by the extreme right and information about incidents related to the extreme right. Results of such analyzes are presented in events and seminars . In addition, support is provided for scientific and journalistic professionals.

As part of the Berlin state program against right-wing extremism, the association receives funding from the Commissioner for Integration and Migration of the Berlin Senate. The work is done on a voluntary basis.

archive

The archive has a large number of publications such as books and magazines from the right-wing and right-wing extremist spectrum, primarily in Germany, but also from other countries. In order to do justice to the focus on music and youth cultures from the right, music publications on CD, video etc. are also archived. The inventory currently consists of over 600 CDs with music from Germany and abroad, mainly from the areas of German right-wing rock and songwriters , but also publications from the black metal or dark wave area as well as military music from National Socialism.

Basically everything that the extreme right produces is collected: from stickers, leaflets and posters, brochures, open and internal letters, circulars and programs to websites. This collection goes back to the 1930s. However, the clear focus is on the period from the 1980s to the present day. The sources contained are divided into categories, recorded in a database and partly evaluated qualitatively. The archive is one of the largest of its kind in Germany.

The archive inventory is growing continuously. In the nineties, for example, several hundred books from the time of National Socialism were taken over from the former holdings of the GDR's German State Library . In 1999 the photo and editorial archive of the " Deutsche Volkszeitung (DVZ) - die tat" was added. In addition, the collection of the project for interdisciplinary research on fascism is administered at the Free University of Berlin .

These sources are supplemented by a database in which press publications since the beginning of the 1990s are recorded, an extensive reference library and anti-fascist publications from all over Germany, Europe and the United States.

Press evaluation

Another core area of ​​the association's work is the continuous evaluation of the daily press. Even if the oldest evaluated sources are from the 1950s, the beginning of the systematic evaluation can be dated to 1991. Since then, around seven daily newspapers have been checked for articles on the subject of right-wing extremism and their content has been evaluated. There are also various weekly, monthly and other newspapers and magazines. The relevant articles are recorded in a database, their content is tagged and archived. After thirteen years of systematic press evaluation, 45,000 articles can be accessed with their help, which are stored in more than 120 press folders.

Practical results of this press evaluation can be found on the website, among other places. For example, chronologies of right-wing extremist attacks and other incidents are published at the beginning of each year.

In cooperation with the online magazine Hagalil , chronologies of anti-Semitic incidents since 1992 are compiled.

Educational program

The association offers a wide educational program with lectures, workshops or seminars that can be held as evening events or as day or weekend seminars. In addition, special group seminars, workshops in schools, lecture series or weekly seminars are held. The list of events includes lectures and seminars from the fields of Judaism and anti-Semitism, women and girls in right-wing extremism, neo-fascism, new rights , fraternities , esotericism and paganism , right-wing extremist journalism, the Internet , associations of expellees , youth subcultures , racism and practical tips.

Publications

The apabiz eV Monitor circular has been published every two months since 2001, with eight pages each reporting on right-wing activities and news from the archive. The older issues of the monitor are available for download on the website , as are the association's press releases.

Employees have been and are involved in numerous books, brochures and other publications as editors or authors, most of which can also be obtained from the association.

For example:

The publication by Michael Weiss Das Versteckspiel - Lifestyle, symbols and codes of right-wing extremist groups was awarded the Alternative Media Prize in 2009, the publication by Annika Eckel and Uli Jentsch Schattenbericht received the Alternative Media Prize in the print category in 2011.

further activities

In addition, the association initiates and operates other projects such as the Turn it down! and tries to promote and network other initiatives against racism, anti-Semitism and neo-fascism. The apabiz is a member of the association “Arguments - Network for anti-racist education eV”, a nationwide network of anti-racist / anti-fascist initiatives, and works closely with other anti-fascist youth groups, educational institutions, trade unions and cultural projects.

financing

The running costs are mainly covered by donations and sponsoring memberships. Furthermore, the apabiz was funded by the former commissioner for integration and migration as part of the Berlin state program against right-wing extremism . In 2015, 24,300 euros came from European parts of the Open Society Foundations network .

literature

  • The Berlin Senate Commissioner for Integration and Migration: State program against right-wing extremism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Competent networks against the law: Antifascist press archive and Bildungszentrum Berlin eV (Apabiz)
  • Berlin Forum for Violence Prevention No. 18: apabiz
  • Felix Lee: The right lifestyle is on the advance. In: "The Parliament". Year 2005. Edition 45.
  • Educational Initiative Engaged Schüler_innen (BES): Are you just learning or are you already thinking? Brochure for the project days on political education. District Office Pankow of Berlin. Youth and Real Estate Department. Position for political education & participation of children and young people. 2007.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Website of the Berlin State Commissioner for Integration and Migration: State Program Against Right-Wing Extremism, Xenophobia and Anti-Semitism - List of Funded Projects (APABIZ under the heading Strengthening Democracy and Human Rights ) ( Memento from August 17, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  2. ^ "Open Society Initiative for Europe: Our Grantees" , Open Society Foundations, 2015, p. 24