The German Case: What It Tells Us About Antisemitism Worldwide

Once the driving force of antisemitism worldwide, Nazi Germany waged war against Jews everywhere, radicalising antisemitism in word and deed. After 1945, Germany was pacified by the Allies, and open antisemitism became the antithesis of the new democratic Staatsräson. Yet today, antisemitism has returned – from the far right, parts of the radical left, Islamist movements, and the centre of society. This lecture examines the German case in a global context and asks whether the postwar Staatsräson – the commitment to Jewish life and Israel’s security – can hold, and what this means for Europe and the wider Jewish diaspora.

Günther Jikeli is the Erna B. Rosenfeld Associate Professor for the Study of Antisemitism and Interim Director of the Borns Jewish Studies Program at Indiana University Bloomington. His research focuses on contemporary antisemitism, conspiracy ideologies, and online hate speech in Europe and the United States.

https://www.lbilondon.ac.uk/jikeli-26

This year’s lecture series explores the diverse ways in which the German past shapes its present – in memory, identity, and political culture. From the everyday complicity of the German bourgeoisie under National Socialism to Jewish life and Holocaust commemoration in the GDR, these lectures illuminate the lingering legacies and unresolved tensions of the 20th century. They also turn outwards, tracing the paths of German- speaking Jewish refugees outside Europe and questioning the persistence and transformation of antisemitism today. Together, they offer critical insights into the afterlife of the German past and its significance for the moral and political questions of our time.

Lectures in this series will be held at the German Historical Institute London, 17 Bloomsbury Square, London WC1A 2NJ, and will also be live streamed on Zoom. Admission is free, but places are strictly limited and must be reserved in advance via Eventbrite. Lectures will begin promptly; latecomers may not be admitted.

Zoom links will be shared with registered participants closer to the date of each event. Further details will be circulated via our mailing list, social media channels, and website.

Organised by the Leo Baeck Institute London in cooperation with the German Historical Institute London.

Overview of the 2026 Lecture Series

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