The Current Repression in West Germany

Abstract

Since little is known in the United States about the general situation, and in particular about the current massive wave of repression, here in West Germany we, a group of U.S. students at a West German university, would like to describe to members of the American left a few aspects of this growing danger. As during the McCarthy era in the United States, the ruling class in West Germany has unleashed a wave of persecution against those (relatively few) West Germans who have taken a stand for social change and critical judgment. Under the pretext of removing "extremists," also branded "enemies of the Constitution," from all positions of public influence, socialists, communists, and other democrats (including many Social Democrats and liberals) face the risk of losing their jobs for their political convictions. We have personally witnessed the resulting climate of fear, intimidation, and self-censorship at West German universities.

This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.

Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.