Felix Axster (Center for Research on Antisemitism/Research Institute Social Cohesion):
“Kolonialer Frühfaschismus”. Zur longue durée des Historiker*innen-Streits 2.0

The term “colonial early fascism” dates back to the early 1980s. In a sense, it anticipates the current controversy known as the “Historians‘ Dispute 2.0.” This lecture traces the genesis of the conceptual framework of colonial early fascism, which implicitly equates anti-colonialism with anti-fascism. This takes place against the backdrop of the resurgence of fascist tendencies and the revival of colonial revisionism.

Felix Axster is a research associate at the Center for Research on Antisemitism at TU Berlin and at the Research Institute Social Cohesion. His research focuses on anti-Semitism and racism, particularly their historical interconnections and contemporary manifestations.

Publications (selection):

• Documenta fifteen. Kunstfreiheit, Postkolonialismus, Antisemitismus. Dossier on Zeitgeschichte-online, 10 Apr 2025 (with Christoph Gollasch)
• Postkolonialismus und Antisemitismus – Eine Debatte in Schieflage, in: Francesca Vidal (ed.): Herausforderung Antisemitismus. Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter 2025, 4–23
• Ed.: Lernen aus der Geschichte 6 (2023), special issue: Kolonisierung des »Ostens«? Friktionen im deutsch-deutschen Transformationsprozess (with Mathias Berek and Katharina Trittel)
• Ed.: The Black Diaspora and Germany/Deutschland und die Schwarze Diaspora. Münster: Edition Assemblage 2018
• “Deutsche Arbeit”. Kritische Perspektiven auf ein ideologisches Selbstbild. Göttingen: Wallstein 2018 (with Nikolas Lelle)
• Koloniales Spektakel in 9x14. Bildpostkarten im Deutschen Kaiserreich. Bielefeld: transcript 2014