Abt. Geschichtswissenschaft

“Es werden Traditionen erfunden, die es nie gab” by Karin Reichenbach (2024)

How do far-right groups use history to legitimize their political agendas? In this insightful interview, published in the Leibniz magazine, historian and archaeologist Karin Reichenbach explains how the past is selectively reinterpreted, simplified, and even reinvented to support exclusionary ideologies. She discusses the invention of traditions that never existed, the romanticization of the Middle Ages and rural life, and the strategic use of historical narratives to create a sense of cultural continuity and identity. Reichenbach, who is specialized in Reenactment studies, also explains how the reenactment scene can become instrumentalized by far-right groups, reinforcing idealized images of the past that manifest anti-modern stereotypes and promoting, for example, rigid gender roles or ethnically homogenous societies. The interview offers a compelling perspective on why critical engagement with history matters – not only for understanding the past, but also to analyze how historical myths continue to shape political debates today.

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