Joerg Haider in historical perspective
When current events cause journalists to (re)discover a European country,
facile and superficial historical explanations cannot be far behind. Why would the Joerg
Haider phenomenon be any different? Ian Reifowitz asks us about the historical roots of
the FPOe. Are antecedents and parallels only to be found in the history and identity of
German Austria, or also of neighboring and older states of Central and East Central
Europe? Can meaningful parallels be drawn in the history of the region? --Ed.
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 11:40:06 EST
From: Ian Reifowitz <IanReifowitz@aol.com>
In light of recent events in Austrian politics, I'd like to propose that we, as a group,
discuss the historical roots of the FPOe and the support for it. From where does support
for this party derive? To what degree is it a legacy of National Socialism as opposed to
merely a response to the increased immigration of the last decade? Perhaps we can make
more sense of the last week by looking backwards, I certainly think we have a
responsibility to try.
Ian Reifowitz