Democracy in sight: Exhibition warns of right-wing extremism!

Democracy in sight: Exhibition warns of right-wing extremism!

The exhibition “Living Democracy – Fighting Right-Wing Extremism” will open on April 1, 2025, which deals intensively with the topic of right-wing extremist ideologies and the corresponding youth scene. The vernissage begins at 6 p.m. and offers a varied program that includes, among other things, a performative reading by Anna Ach and Alexandra Feiler. In addition, Marina Mayer will address the spread of right-wing extremist acts in her lecture, which underlines the relevance of the topic. The exhibition will then be open from April 2nd to 6th and again on April 8th and 10th from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The venue is the Science Forum at the Zukunftscampus, Hohe-Schul-Straße 5, organized by the Political Education Department of the Ingolstadt City Youth Council and the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, with the support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung.

The exhibition follows an interactive concept, which is complemented by a media table, multimedia contributions and informative panels. This clear format is aimed primarily at young people aged 14 and over and also at adults. Particularly noteworthy are the free tours for school classes, which take place during the first week of April and are a valuable addition to school education. Interested teachers and groups can contact Dr. Contact Eveline Hermannseder to register.

Aims and contents of the exhibition

The central objective of the exhibition is to show the dangers of right-wing extremism for democracy and human dignity. Kettner and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation have not only focused on the foundations of right-wing extremist behavior, but also different modes of argumentation and forms of right-wing extremist worldviews. These are of crucial importance for understanding the social framework conditions. The content is designed to be appealing and understandable, particularly for people aged 14 and over and for school classes.

In addition, the Federal Agency for Civic Education emphasizes the need to address the challenges of right-wing extremism at an early stage. In this context, attention is drawn to the responsibility of families, the state and society to promote democracy education. Karl Popper's insight that democracy represents the best political form of the world is a guiding principle of these efforts. Basic values ​​such as freedom, equality and justice must be constantly anchored in the education of young people in order to prevent the instrumentalization of these values.

Democracy education as a key factor

The continuous promotion of democratic skills is also viewed as being of great importance. Schools must function as spaces of experience in which communities of values ​​are created and participation is encouraged. A proposal to implement educational rules could help establish an alliance for democratic values ​​in schools. This driving force could also lead to the “Schools without Racism” initiative, which is dedicated to the fight against discrimination and exclusion.

Society is called upon to aggressively address right-wing extremist slogans and to train teachers to provide support and information about right-wing extremism. It is crucial that students learn that right-wing extremism goes hand in hand with lack of freedom and social exclusion. In this way, an attentive and responsible generation can be raised that appreciates the values ​​of democracy and stands up for its defense. A well-informed approach to new media can help to overcome the challenges of dealing with right-wing extremist trends.

For further information about the exhibition and its accompanying programs, interested readers can visit Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt as well as Live democracy and the Federal Agency for Civic Education consult.