Björn Höcke

[[File:2019-10-27 Wahlabend Thüringen by Sandro Halank–88.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Höcke in 2019.]]
{{politics}}
'''
Bernd
<ref>[https://www.merkur.de/politik/bernd-hoecke-oder-bjoern-hoecke-wie-heisst-afd-spitzenkandidat-in-thueringen-zr-13027038.html Bernd Höcke oder Björn Höcke: Wie heißt der AfD-Spitzenkandidat in Thüringen?] ''Merkur.de'' 02.12.2020</ref> Björn Höcke''' {{lived|1972}} is the chairman of the [[far-right]] party [[Alternative für Deutschland]] in the state parliament of Thuringia, [[Germany]].<ref>[https://www.thueringer-landtag.de/abgeordnete/abgeordnete-fraktionen-sitzordnung/abgeordnetendetails/abgeordneter/bjoern-hoecke/ Björn Höcke] ''Thüringer Landtag''</ref> He is one of the central figures of the German new right.

The former teacher is known for his extreme right wing views and casual use of [[Nazi]]-inspired language. He is frequently in the headlines for espousing [[racist]] [[nationalist]] views and is considered extreme even by his racist party's standards<ref>[https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/afd-bundesvorstand-will-eidesstattliche-erklaerung-von-hoecke-a-1030581.html AfD-Spitze setzt Landeschef Höcke unter Druck] ''Der Spiegel'' 24 April 2015</ref><ref name="Firebrand">[https://www.dw.com/en/afds-bj%C3%B6rn-h%C3%B6cke-firebrand-of-the-german-far-right/a-52297134 AfD's Björn Höcke: Firebrand of the German far right] ''Deutsche Welle'' 7 February 2020</ref>&nbsp;— so much so that he is, in fact, under surveillance by the {{wpl|Verfassungsschutz|''Verfassungsschutz||,}}<ref>[https://www.nzz.ch/international/der-verfassungsschutz-nimmt-die-hoecke-afd-unter-die-lupe-ld.1417813?reduced=true Der Verfassungsschutz nimmt die Höcke-AfD unter die Lupe] ''Neue Zürcher Zeitung'' 6 September 2018</ref> an agency founded for the protection of the constitution (but itself under fire for several high profile affairs, most famously the NSU scandal).<ref>[https://www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/migration/newsletter/191054/nsu-prozess NSU-Prozess: Rolle des Verfassungsschutzes bleibt fragwürdig] ''Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung'' 5 September 2014</ref> In July 2021, the AfD won a lawsuit against the provincial association of Thuringia for them having slandered Höcke by declaring him publicly to be a case for examination.<ref>[https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/politik/afd-thueringen-verfassungsschutz-prueffall-verwaltungsgericht-100.html Bekanntgabe der AfD als Prüffall rechtswidrig] ''Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen'' 12 July 2021</ref> 

Demonstrating his casual flirtations with Nazi language, in May 2024, Höcke was found guilty in a {{wpl|Halle (Saale)|Halle}} court of using the phrase ''"Alles für Deutschland!"'' (Everything for Germany!), a slogan associated with the [[Nazi]] "storm troopers" or {{wpl|Sturmabteilung||,}} in a 2021 AfD rally. (Höcke denied knowing the phrase's roots, despite, as mentioned, being a former ''history'' teacher.)<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-69012813 "German far-right politician Björn Höcke guilty of using Nazi slogan"], BBC, 2024 May 14</ref> He was fined €13,000 and that the money will go to a grassroots anti-extremism programme.

==Biography==
Höcke was born on April 1<sup>st</sup> 1972 in Lünen, Westphalia. His grandparents were German refugees from East Prussia after the Second World War<ref group=note>In the aftermath of said war, some 12-14 million ethnic Germans were 'relocated' [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_and_expulsion_of_Germans_(1944%E2%80%931950) from non-German states]</ref> a little ironic when considering it was fascism (and a failed war) which lost them their home. The rot of his racist nationalist fervor started early through family ties, with his father being an anti-[[communist]], [[Antisemitism|anti-semite]] who complained of the unification of Germany as "the end of the German people". According to Höcke, he entered the youth organisation of the conservative [[CDU]] in 1986 because of his admiration for then-chancellor Helmut Kohl.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20190426105844/https://www.nzz.ch/international/hoeckes-bullerbue-ld.1326028 Der wohl meistgehasste Politiker Deutschlands] ''Neue Zürcher Zeitung'' 31 November 2017 (Archived from the original on 26 April 2019)</ref> In 2006, a letter written by him was published in a local newspaper, in which he claimed that "never before and never after it there  were so many people killed so fast as in Dresden '45", using the exaggerated numbers of British holocaust denialist [[David Irving]], and that "the goal was to kill as many German people as possible". <ref>[https://www.merkur.de/politik/leserbrief-aus-2006-so-tickte-heutige-afd-mann-bjoern-hoecke-als-lehrer-zr-7316577.html Leserbrief aus 2006: So tickte Björn Höcke als Lehrer] ''merkur.de'', 23. January 2017</ref>. Since then, he had contacts to many neonazis, like Martin Hohmann and Karlheinz Weißmann<ref>[https://www.zeit.de/politik/deutschland/2016-02/bjoern-hoecke-afd-rechtspopulismus-portraet/komplettansicht Mein Mitschüler, der rechte Agitator] ''zeit.de'', 18. February 2016</ref>.

===Landolf Ladig===
Since 2011, an unknown person published various articles with outright neo-Nazi narratives in various far-right magazines, using the pseudonym "Landolf Ladig".<ref group=note>For English speakers to understand how completely absurd this name is, just imagine [[Donald Trump]] writing under the name of "Countryman Corey"</ref> Höcke himself claims that he is not Ladig, but does not want to make a statutory declaration on the issue. <ref>[https://jurios.de/2021/06/16/wer-ist-landolf-ladig-afd-landeschef-bjoern-hoecke-verklagt/ Wer ist Landolf Ladig? AfD-Landeschef Björn Höcke verklagt] ''jurios.de'', 16. June 2021</ref> For a person who is absolutely not Höcke, whoever is behind Landolf Ladig surely does know a lot about his home and does use many terms that are almost only used by him.<ref>[https://taz.de/Streit-um-Landolf-Ladig/!5634225/ Junge Gemeinde Jena verklagt Höcke] ''taz.de'', 16. October 2019 </ref>

==Positions==
Since Höcke is very visible in German politics and says way too many things that are intentionally designed to be offensive, here are just some snippets on what he believes or claims to believe.

===LGBT+ and family values===
Höcke naturally dislikes the [[LGBTQ+]] community and frequently resorts to [[Fear, uncertainty, and doubt|scare-mongering]]. Any effort to educate on [[sexuality]] or [[gender]] is inherently trying to sexualize children, to recruit them to homosexuality or to dissolve the "natural" order and the integrity of the [[Kinder, Küche, Kirche|"traditional" family]]. Any attempt to even study the idea of gender is considered taxpayer guzzling state [[ideology]] that is harmful to society. His preferred idea of a family consists of man, woman and three children. Höcke posits that there is a "natural" polarity between man and woman that excludes any other gender and on which the sophistication of humanity is supposedly built on.<ref>[https://www.pnn.de/brandenburg/afd-will-sich-mit-rechten-thesen-profilieren/21579722.html AfD will sich mit rechten Thesen profilieren] ''Potsdamer Neueste Nachrichten'' 31 July 2014</ref> As usual, he draws comparisons between [[trans]] and mental illness. Classy.<ref>[https://www.queer.de/detail.php?article_id=31179 Höcke will Schwule und Lesben nicht akzeptieren] ''queer.de'' 16 May 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/afd-bjoern-hoecke-macht-stimmung-gegen-homosexuelle-a-00000000-0003-0001-0000-000002398159 Kaum steht fest, dass Höcke in der AfD bleiben darf, macht er wieder Stimmung gegen Homosexuelle] ''Der Spiegel'' 16 May 2018</ref>

===Race===
Höcke claims that "Africans" have evolved to multiply in greater masses while "Europeans" have evolved to optimally use their living space. Because of this, he claims that if this continues and that if Europe continues to allow migrants to enter, Europeans will soon be replaced or go extinct ([[The Great Replacement|Sound familiar?]]). Therefore he demands a complete closure of all the borders to African migrants. Similarly, he claims that there are several "very distinct peoples with unique identities" in the U.S. which in his opinion has lead to [[miscegenation]]. This "downfall" (literally ''Abstieg'' = "descent"), should be avoided in Europe.<ref>[https://www.zeit.de/2019/04/bjoern-hoecke-nie-zweimal-in-denselben-fluss-rechtspopulismus/seite-2 Der Volksempfänger] ''Zeit Online'' 21 January 2019</ref> He is totally, absolutely not a fascist though.<ref>[https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/afd-thueringen-blanker-rassismus-hoecke-und-die-fortpflanzung-der-afrikaner-1.2780159 "Blanker Rassismus": Höcke und die Fortpflanzung der Afrikaner] ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' 12 December 2015</ref> He also claims that [[multiculturalism]] or any sort of diversity is a form of destruction of what he calls ''Leitkultur'' (roughly "Leading culture") which he obviously thinks is exactly whatever he believes it is and should be predominant. According to his views, the cultural fabric of Germany is being destroyed through "mass import" by "multiculture-extremism". Of course, Höcke is very quick to use any sort of tragedy for his goal of [[Hate speech|stirring up hate]] on migrants.<ref>[https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/extremismus-hoecke-nutzt-frankfurter-bahnhofsattacke-fuer-forderungen-dpa.urn-newsml-dpa-com-20090101-190804-99-338019 Höcke nutzt Frankfurter Bahnhofsattacke für Forderungen] ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' 4 August 2019</ref><ref name="Firebrand"/>

===Climate change===
{{main|Climate change}}
Höcke does not deny that the climate is changing, but he does claim that it is not anthropogenic, a form of denialism nonetheless.<ref>[https://www.mainpost.de/regional/kitzingen/250-menschen-gegen-die-afd-hoecke-leugnet-klimawandel-art-10032355 250 Menschen gegen die AfD – Höcke leugnet Klimawandel] ''Main Post'' 10 August 2018</ref> He is for reforestation and better watering systems.<ref>[https://www.coolis.de/2019/08/16/hoecke-afd-will-thueringen-an-den-klimawandel-anpassen/ Höcke (AfD) will Thüringen an den Klimawandel anpassen] ''COOLIS'' 16 August 2019</ref>

===Religion===
Höcke claims to be a [[Christian]] though he does not seem to like the [[Bible]] for having too much desert and not enough forests in it.<ref>[https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/kommentar-bjoern-hoecke-holzt-die-bibel-ab.886.de.html?dram:article_id=439644 Kommentar - Björn Höcke holzt die Bibel ab] ''Deutschlandfunk'' 30 January 2019</ref> He claims that there is an antagonism between Christianity and [[Judaism]].<ref>[https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/landesvorsitzender-in-thueringen-wegen-seiner-aeusserungen-und-auftritte-afd-beraet-ueber-bjoern-hoeckes-rauswurf_id_5162760.html "Sie stellen einen Antagonismus dar": Wegen seiner Äußerungen und Auftritte: AfD berät über Björn Höckes Rauswurf] ''FOCUS Online'' 18 December 2015</ref> Being anti-American as well, he condones Wolfgang Gedeon‘s conspiracy theory that the [[International Jewish conspiracy|U.S. is controlled by Jews]] and which also claims that the U.S. plans to annex the rest of the world by Islamising other Christian nations. This of course makes total sense because as we all know, nobody is as pro-Islam and anti-Christian as the U.S. It also makes total internal sense that a Jewish-controlled U.S. would try to spread Islam in Christian countries.<ref name="Thuringer">[https://www.thueringer-allgemeine.de/politik/bjoern-hoecke-und-der-verschwoerungstheoretiker-wolfgang-gedeon-id221884473.html Björn Höcke und der Verschwörungstheoretiker Wolfgang Gedeon] ''Thüringer Allgemeine'' 22 July 2016</ref> Höcke utilizes traditional [[stereotypes]] about Jews, but is careful not to directly name Jews.<ref name="Welt">[https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article213254624/Lagebild-zum-Judenhass-So-verbreiten-Hoecke-und-Co-antisemitische-Verschwoerungstheorien.html So verbreiten Höcke und Co. antisemitische Verschwörungstheorien] ''WELT'' 10 August 2020</ref>

According to Höcke, Islam is not compatible with "European culture" and should be driven back to the Bosporus Strait.<ref>[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/afd-bjoern-hoecke-will-ueber-islam-ueber-grenzen-hinaus-bekaempfen-15421952.html AFD: Höcke: Mit Islam soll am Bosporus Schluss sein] ''Frankfurter Allgemeine'' 28 January 2018</ref> However he does sometimes allow for tolerance and say that [[Muslims]] who follow the law and integrate well into society have to be tolerated. Yet, he generally considers Islam violent and dangerous and claims there is systematic Islamization going on.<ref name="Thuringer"/> Some of his former students have said that he is a fan of [[Norse mythology|Nordic-mythology]] and has claimed to believe in "the spirit of nature".<ref>[https://www.vice.com/de/article/yvkjnb/wir-haben-mit-einem-ehemaligen-schueler-ueber-bjoern-hoecke-geredet-277 Wir haben mit einem seiner ehemaligen Schüler über Björn Höcke geredet] ''VICE'' 25 January 2016</ref>

===EU===
The [[EU]] is a [[neoliberal]], globalising-agency led by [[George Soros]], according to Höcke. Former chancellor [[Angela Merkel]] is his client, and anyway, all the other parties and the EU are run by "elites" and "cartels".<ref>[https://www.rnd.de/politik/verfassungsschutz-hocke-afd-verbreitet-judenfeindliche-denkmuster-4RUOCSDOZRC2RBBQUVHHAW2LMY.html Verfassungsschutz: Höcke-AfD verbreitet judenfeindliche Denkmuster] ''RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland'' 10 August 2020</ref><ref name="Welt"/>

===Historical revisionism===
{{main|Historical revisionism}}
Höcke has demanded a "180° turn" on remembrance culture and has called the Berlin [[Holocaust]] memorial a "memorial of shame". In a case of epic [[trolling]], an activist artist group has rented the property beside Höcke's home and built a small version of the Berlin Holocaust Memorial for him to enjoy.<ref>[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/bjoern-hoecke-bekommt-holocaust-mahnmal-vor-die-nase-gesetzt-15304541.html Björn Höcke bekommt Holocaust-Mahnmal vor die Nase gesetzt] ''Frankfurter Allgemeine'' 22 November 2017</ref> Höcke has claimed that the bombing of Dresden had as its sole goal the killing of as many people as possible and apparently hints at [[David Irving]] as his source though he doesn't explicitly name him. <ref>[https://www.merkur.de/politik/leserbrief-aus-2006-so-tickte-heutige-afd-mann-bjoern-hoecke-als-lehrer-7316577.html Leserbrief aus 2006: So tickte Björn Höcke als Lehrer] ''Münchner Merkur'' 23 January 2017</ref> He employs old [[canard]]s like comparing victims of the Nazis with those of [[Stalinism]] even when he is on a visit to a [[concentration camp]].<ref>This Journal is itself center-right and is criticizing him for this: [https://www.cicero.de/innenpolitik/afd-und-identitaere-die-stunde-der-neuen-rechten Die Stunde der „Neuen Rechten“] ''Cicero'' 29 June 2016</ref> [[Colonization]] by the [[German Empire|German Reich]], in his view, wasn't ''completely'' negative&nbsp;— he claims it has helped enrich the colonized people. Because of this, he thinks that Germany should not have to give back stolen artifacts.<ref>[https://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/afd-neue-taktik-1.4067399 So raffiniert wie zwielichtig] ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'' 26 July 2018</ref>

===Authoritarianism===
{{main|Authoritarianism}}
Naturally, spoken like a true right-wing [[hypocrite]], he claims that the "state" is indoctrinating children through school into believing certain ideas. At the same time, forcing his particular set of ideas onto the populace is okay because… well… he's a bigot. No surprise there. He says for instance that excursions to concentration camps by schoolchildren are violating the schools supposed "neutrality". The teacher's union has publicly spoken out against him for his substance-free rants.<ref>[https://www.otz.de/politik/thueringer-landesregierung-und-lehrer-distanzieren-sich-von-afd-brief-an-schulen-id224843061.html Thüringer Landesregierung und Lehrer distanzieren sich von AfD-Brief an Schulen] ''Ostthüringer Zeitung'' 14 November 2018</ref><ref>[https://www.news4teachers.de/2018/11/lehrerverbands-chef-schreibt-an-hoecke-offen-gesagt-fuehlen-wir-uns-genervt/ Lehrerverbands-Chef schreibt an Höcke: „Offen gesagt, fühlen wir uns genervt“] ''News4teachers'' 30 November 2018</ref>

==Language==
Höcke is arguably quite cunning in his use of language, as least when one considers the [[dog whistling]] of ignorant people a form of wit. He employs a lot of Nazi-inspired language, sometimes making it just [[vague]] enough to be able to scream persecution if somebody points it out.<ref>A left-wing journal: [https://taz.de/Bjoern-Hoecke-bricht-ZDF-Interview-ab/!5622813/ Die AfD gewinnt immer] ''Die Tageszeitung'' 16 September 2019</ref> As usual for right-wing nutcases, he feels like he and the right are being persecuted when scrutinized.<ref>[https://www.zdf.de/politik/berlin-direkt/zdf-interview-mit-bjoern-hoecke-in-voller-laenge-100.html ZDF-Interview mit Björn Höcke in voller Länge] ''Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen'' 15 September 2019</ref> Höcke tries simultaneously to flatter the far-right and the center-right by hiding some of the nasty ideas behind [[euphemism]]s or a veil of "concern". However, it is quite clear that he aims to provoke in order to kickstart discussions on subjects to pull them into the spotlight.<ref>[https://www.faz.net/aktuell/feuilleton/debatten/thueringen-die-sprache-von-afd-chef-bjoern-hoecke-16456151.html Thüringen: Die Sprache von AfD-Chef Björn Höcke] ''Frankfurter Allgemeine'' 29 October 2019</ref><ref>[https://www.focus.de/politik/deutschland/bjoern-hoecke-sieben-zitate-zeigen-wie-gefaehrlich-der-afd-rechtsaussen-wirklich-ist_id_6536746.html Acht Zitate zeigen, wie gefährlich der AfD-Rechtsaußen wirklich ist] ''FOCUS Online'' 24 January 2017</ref>

==Certified fascist==
According to a court ruling, it is legal to call Höcke a [[fascist]]. This does not mean that the court deems him a fascist, only that the action of calling him a fascist publicly is not derogatory but an acceptable judgement based on things he has said and done which might be construed as "fascist". It's not an insult if it's true.<ref>[https://www.spiegel.de/politik/deutschland/bjoern-hoecke-darf-als-faschist-bezeichnet-werden-gerichtsurteil-zu-eisenach-a-1289131.html Björn Höcke darf als "Faschist" bezeichnet werden] ''Der Spiegel'' 28 September 2019</ref>

Another important note is that analysts have noted Höcke and most other AFD members to be standard neo-fascists rather than Neo-Nazis, but have inherited some base ideas from the Nazis (such as extreme natalism, ethnonationalism, and xenophobia) and the AfD do have a few legit Neo-Nazis in their movement.<ref>[https://www.vox.com/world-politics/2024/3/12/24080074/germany-afd-far-right The dangerous resurgence of Germany’s far right, explained]</ref>

A [[Swiss]] News-Portal called "Watson" has posted a quiz where one can guess who has uttered certain statements, Höcke or [[Hitler]], showing that there is some overlap and similarities in their [[rhetoric]] and Hocke using fascist/nazi language.<ref>[https://www.watson.ch/quiz/international/385372224-nach-interview-eklat-im-zdf-hoecke-oder-hitler-wer-hat-s-gesagt Nach Interview-Eklat im ZDF: Höcke oder Hitler – wer hat's gesagt?] ''Watson'' 16 September 2019</ref> Additionally, Höcke has used more than a dozen terms that either copy or echo [[NSDP]] rhetoric, e.g.: ''Volksverderber'' ("corrupter of the people", from ''[[Mein Kampf]]'') and ''Tat-Elite'' ("action-elite", a phrase used by the [[SS]]).<ref>[https://www.diss-duisburg.de/2016/11/zur-ns-rhetorik-des-afd-politikers-bjoern-hoecke/ https://www.diss-duisburg.de/2016/11/zur-ns-rhetorik-des-afd-politikers-bjoern-hoecke/] (14. November 2016) by Andreas Kemper ''Duisburger Institut für Sprach- und Sozialforschung''.</ref><ref name=dziadosz>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/aug/29/the-trial-of-bjorn-hocke-the-real-boss-of-germany-far-right The trial of Björn Höcke, the ‘real boss’ of Germany’s far right: As leader of the AfD’s most radical faction, he is infamous in Germany and his critics have long accused him of using language that echoes the Nazis. This year, a court put that question to the test] by Alex Dziadosz (29 Aug 2024 00.00 EDT) ''The Guardian''.</ref> Höcke, in response to a fascist but [[credulous]] [[Elon Musk]], also falsely claimed that one of the phrases that he uses was innocent; the phrase, for which he is being prosecuted in 2024 for violating Germany's anti-Nazi laws is ''Alles für Deutschland'' ("everything for Germany"), which though it may sound innocent, was a phrase that was carved into [[SA]] daggers.<ref name=dziadosz/><ref>[https://ghostarchive.org/archive/nPnS4 Once again, Germany is at the forefront of persecuting political opponents and suppressing free speech. On April 18, I will stand trial in Halle. I am charged with the crime of using an alleged quote in which I expressed my patriotism „incorrectly“. I invite you to come to Halle…] by Björn Höcke (April 6, 2024) ''Twitter'' (archived from August 28, 2024).</ref> Höcke has been accused of writing several articles pseudonymously for a publication affiliated with the [[neo-Nazi]] [[National Democratic Party of Germany]] (NDP), and a video surfaced showing Höcke chanting during a neo-Nazi march in Dresden.<ref name=dziadosz/>

==Possible election==
Unfortunately, many politicians in the AfD (Hocke included) seem poised to win in the 2024 election in Germany, which harkens back to the country’s dark past under fascism, this time with another fascist group that is on the rise.<ref>https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-fascism-populism-europe-bjorn-hocke-immigration-elections-eu/</ref>

==See also==
*[[Donald Trump]]
*[[Geert Wilders]]
*[[Giorgia Meloni]]
*[[Marine Le Pen]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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[[Category:Alt-right]]
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[[Category:Great Replacement conspiracy theorists]]
[[Category:Global warming denialists]]
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[[Category:Racists]]


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Categories: Alt-right, Antisemites, Christians, Conspiracy theorists, Ethnic entrepreneurs, Fascists, German politics, Great Replacement conspiracy theorists, Global warming denialists, Homophobes, Living people, Islamophobes, Racists, Sexists, Transphobes