While addressing a gathering late last year, far-right German politician Björn Höcke, then on trial for raising a Nazi slogan at a 2021 rally, invoked the phrase “Everything for…,” prompting the crowd to respond “Germany” to complete the banned Nazi slogan, which was inscribed on the knives of Adolf Hitler’s storm troopers, who played a key role in his rise to power in the 1930s.
The former history teacher had earlier faced criticism for inciting racial hatred and using anti-Semitic language when he described the Holocaust memorial in Berlin as a “monument of shame” and called for a“180-degree turn” in how Germany remembers its past.
“Never, never must we allow ourselves to let the demagogy of a Björn Höcke go unchallenged,” the then Germany’s Vice Chancellor, Sigmar Gabriel, said. The Central Council of Jews said the “anti-Semitic and utterly inhuman words” had revealed the true face of the Alternative for Germany (AfD). The party nearly expelled him, warning that his approach could “damage its acceptance.”
Despite a string of controversies, the 52-year-old rose through the ranks of the AfD far-right party to become one of the most powerful figures in the shifting German political landscape. He has consistently pushed the limits of public discourse with controversial stances on history, nationalism, race and migrants.
He now stands trial for the second time on charges of using a Nazi slogan, just months ahead of the regional elections in Thuringia, where he plans to run for Governor.
History deeply influenced Mr. Höcke’s life and career. He was born in Lünen, Westphalia, in 1972, with roots tracing to German refugees from East Prussia. His upbringing instilled a sense of displacement and a longing for a lost homeland, themes evident in his political ideology. “Key to understanding Höcke is his ideology-shaping heritage of East Prussia where Höcke’s forebears originated… A second ideology-shaping element is the idea that ‘battles create identities’… Höcke says, ‘to be Prussian is a lifestyle’… This means Prussian authoritarian militarism,” Sebastian Hennig notes in the book Never Twice in the Same River. He described Mr. Höcke’s life as “dutiful” until he became aware of “German suffering” and felt the need to change the national discourse. In 2013, he co-founded the AfD’s Thuringia chapter, launching his political career.
Revisionist views
Quickly rising to prominence as one of Thuringia’s most radical figures, Mr. Höcke gained notoriety for his revisionist views on Nazi history and rhetoric reminiscent of the 1930s. During the 2015 European migrant crisis, he warned large crowds against “German alienation”. His oratory style drew comparisons to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.
Mr. Höcke participated in far-right demonstrations, made racist comments, attempted to normalise Nazi-era words, and questioned national guilt over the Holocaust. “Germans are the only people in the world who plant a monument of shame in the heart of their capital… the laughable policy of coming to terms with the past is crippling us,” he said. He claimed multiculturalism threatened Germany’s existence and used anti-Islamic rhetoric to advocate for the concentration of power with a single individual.
Mr. Höcke’s divisive remarks caused internal strife, leading to expulsion proceedings that were ultimately overturned. In 2019, a court ruled that it is legally justifiable to label him a “fascist”. The AfD’s regional branch was placed under surveillance as a “right-wing extremist” group.
Mr. Höcke attributed his “rhetorical missteps” to a media witch hunt. On one occasion, he stormed out of an interview after being shown clips where his AfD colleagues couldn’t distinguish between his remarks and those from Mein Kampf.
His relentless testing of political boundaries peaked when he concluded a speech at a political event with the Nazi slogan “Everything for Germany” in 2021. In court he argued he was unaware of its “criminal relevance.” However, he repeated the slogan at another event in December 2023 while still on trial. The legal troubles didn’t affect his popularity, though.
Following the AfD’s strong show in the EU Parliament elections, Mr. Höcke is now focused on Thuringia, aiming for victory in the regional polls. If successful, Björn Höcke could secure his first constitutional post, transitioning from a polarising figure to a potential state Premier.
