History Antifaschistische Aktion

1 history

1.1 1930s
1.2 after hitler
1.3 1980s

history

come poster of antifaschistische aktion (1932)



a demonstration antifaschistische aktion on may day 2014 in berlin; bereitschaftspolizei in foreground.


1930s

the first german movement call antifaschistische aktion proclaimed german communist party (kpd) in newspaper rote fahne in 1932 , held first rally in berlin on 10 july 1932, capital of weimar republic. two-flag logo, designed association of revolutionary visual artists members max keilson , max gebhard, remains used symbol of militant anti-fascism.

the late 1920s , 1930s saw rising tensions between nazis , leftists. berlin in particular site of regular , violent clashes between 2 groups. there several nazi , anti-nazi paramilitary groups. on anti-nazi side, these included social democrat-dominated reichsbanner (formed in 1924), communist paramilitary , propaganda organisation roter frontkämpferbund (red front fighters league or rfb, formed in 1924) , communist kampfbund gegen den faschismus (fighting-alliance against fascism, formed in 1930). in late 1931, local roter massenselbstschutz (red mass self-defence, rmss) units formed kampfbund members autonomous , loosely organised structures under leadership of, outside formal organisation of, kpd , part of party s united front policy work other working class groups defeat fascism. in may 1932, roter frontkämpferbund had been banned and, following skirmish between nazi , communist members in parliament, antifaschistische aktion formed broad-based alliance in social democrats, communists , others fight legal repression , engage in self-defence against nazi paramilitaries.

the rmss units absorbed antifaschistische aktion, forming nuclei of latter s unity committees , organised on micro-local basis, e.g. in apartment buildings, factories or allotments.

as fighting fascists, rmss , antifaschistische aktion used militant approach develop comprehensive network of self-defence working class communities, example in tenant protection (mieterschutz), action against evictions. rmss units had minimal formal membership, in second half of 1932, local executive boards created co-ordinate activities of kpd, kampfbund, rmss , (now illegal) rfb, rmss given more distinct , paramilitary defence role, co-operating on ad hoc basis reichsbanner.

after forced dissolution in wake of machtergreifung in 1933, movement went underground.

after hitler

groups called antifaschistische ausschüsse , antifaschistische kommittees or antifaschistische aktion , typically abbreviated antifa, spontaneously re-emerged in germany in 1944, involving veterans of pre-war kpd, kpo , spd politics, members of other democratic political parties , christians opposed nazi régime. in 1945, example, antifascist committee in city of olbernhau included 3 communists , 3 social democrats while antifascist committee in leipzig had 9 members, including 3 liberals , progressive christians .

in french, british, , american zones, antifas began recede late summer of 1945, marginalized allied bans on political organization , re-emerging divisions within movement between communists , others, while in east germany antifa groups absorbed new stalinist state. on 11 july 1945, soviets permitted formation of united front of antifascist-democratic parties , included representatives communist kpd, social democratic spd, christian democratic union (cdu), , liberal democratic party (ldp) .

from 1980s

contemporary antifa in germany has no practical historical connection movement takes name, instead product of west germany s squatter scene , autonomist movement in 1980s . many new antifa groups formed late 1980s onwards. 1 of biggest antifascist campaigns in germany in recent years the, successful, effort block annual nazi-rallies in east german city of dresden in saxony, had grown europe s biggest gathering of nazis .

in october 2016, antifa in dresden campaigned on occasion of anniversary of reunification of germany on 3 october turning unity celebrations disaster („einheitsfeierlichkeiten zum desaster machen“), protest display of new german nationalism, whilst explicitly not ruling out use of violence.

the american antifa of 21st-century has drawn aesthetics , of tactics original german organization.