PD Dr. Oliver Decker

Center for the Study of Right-Wing Extremism and Democracy, Leipzig University

researches on the effects of social crises and transformations on society members using qualitative and quantitative methods of empirical social research. One of his focus areas are “Mitte” surveys – carried out at Leipzig University since 2002 – which explore political attitudes in Germany. He is the spokesman of the Center for the Study of Right-Wing Extremism and Democracy (KReDo).

Selected Publications
(2016) Comparative Perspectives on Right-Wing Extremism in Europe. New York: Routledge (with J. Kiess/E. Brähler, eds).
(2016) Extremismus in Sachsen. Ansätze. Befunde. Beispiele. Leipzig: Seemann Henschel (with G. Pickel).

PD Dr. Steffen Kailitz

Hannah Arendt Institute for the Research on Totalitarianism, Dresden

focuses on right-wing extremism, xenophobia, and political culture in Germany and has written extensively on these issues. He cofounded the Working Group for Comparative Dictatorship and Extremism Research at the German Political Science Association (DVPW) and was its spokesman between 2003 and 2012. Currently, Kailitz is one of the four expert witnesses appointed by the Federal Constitutional Court in the NPD ban proceedings.

Selected Publications
(2015) 'Rechte Kampagnen damals und heute', Cicero, 13 November.
(2005) Rechtsextremismus in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland. Auf dem Weg zur „Volksfront“? Sankt Augustin: Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung.

Prof. Dr. Gert Pickel

Faculty of Theology, Leipzig University

Gert Pickel’s research is centered on the areas of political culture and sociology of religion. He has published on islamophobia and perception of out-groups. As evidenced by respective textbooks, Pickel has extensive expertise in the empirical attitude research and social research methods in political science. He is the board member of the Center for the Study of Right-Wing Extremism and Democracy.

Selected Publications
(2015) Politische Soziologie – Ein Einführung in Theorien und empirische Ergebnisse. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag.
(2013) Religion und Politik im vereinigten Deutschland. Was bleibt von der Rückkehr des Religiösen? Wiesbaden: VS Verlag (with O. Hidalgo, eds).

Prof. Dr. Antje Röder

Professorship in Methods of Empirical Social Research, Marburg University

researches on integration of migrants and minorities in European societies, with particular interest in the interplay of individual factors on the one hand and group- and country-specific contexts on the other. She has published extensively on socio-cultural integration of migrants, specifically on attitudes regarding gender roles and homosexuality and the effects of discrimination. International comparisons based on secondary data sets and data collection among mobile and hard-to-reach populations are at the center of her research.

Selected Publications
(2015) 'Immigrants’ attitudes towards homosexuality: The role of religion, origin country socialisation, and acculturation', International Migration Review 49(4), 1042-1070.
(2014) 'Are they acculturating? Europe's immigrants and gender egalitarianism', Social Forces 92(3), 899-928 (with P. Mühlau).

PD Dr. Julia Schulze Wessel

Chair of Political Theory and History of Ideas, TU Dresden

has done intensive research on flight and migration from a political theory perspective. In 2014, she habilitated with a work "Political Theory of a Refugee. On a Border Subject". Following her habilitation, she has conducted further research dealing with the refugee figure as a border subject. Her current research focuses on refugees as political actors that challenge the democratic order on different levels.

Selected Publications
(2017) Grenzfiguren – Zur politischen Theorie des Flüchtlings. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag.
(2016) 'On Border Subjects: Rethinking the Figure of the Refugee and the Undocumented Migrant', Constellations 23(1), 36-57.

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Frank Asbrock

Junior Professorship in Social Psychology, TU Chemnitz

has been Junior Professor of Social Psychology at TU Chemnitz since April 2015. His research focuses on ideological attitudes (authoritarianism & social dominance orientation) and biases, fundamental dimensions of social judgement and discrimination, integroup contact as well as integroup conflicts and emotions towards groups.

Selected Publications
(2017) Grenzfiguren – Zur politischen Theorie des Flüchtlings. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag.
(2016) 'On Border Subjects: Rethinking the Figure of the Refugee and the Undocumented Migrant', Constellations 23(1), 36-57.

Prof. Dr. Uwe Backes

deputy director at Hannah Arendt Institute for the Research on Totalitarianism, Dresden // apl. Prof. at the Institute for Political Science, TU Dresden

researches on extremism and politically motivated violence in Germany and Europe from a comparative perspective. Recently, he has conducted a research project on right-wing motivated multiple offenders in Saxony. He is the co-editor of the Yearbook Extremism and Democracy and the same-titled publication series at Nomos, Baden-Baden.

Selected Publications
(2014) Rechts motivierte Mehrfach- und Intensivtäter in Sachsen. Göttingen: V&R unipress (with A. Haase/M. Logvinov/M. Mletzko/J. Stoye).
(2012) The Extreme Right in Europe. Current Trends and Perspectives. Göttingen: V&R unipress (with P. Moreau).

Prof. Dr. Immo Fritsche

Department of Psychology, Leipzig University

is Professor of Social Psychology (Leipzig University) and member of the Center for the Study of Right-Wing Extremism and Democracy (KReDo). He researches and teaches on processes in and between groups (e.g. conflicts, collective thinking and action), motivated social cognition (e.g. effects of threats, need for control and action ability) as well as social psychology of ecological crisis. His research is quantitative and experimental.

Selected Publications
(forthcoming) 'The great depression and group-based control: Converting personal helplessness into collective responses', Journal of Social Issues, 73 (with M. Moya et al.).
(2011) 'Collective reactions to threat: Implications for intergroup conflict and solving societal crises', Social Issues and Policy Review 5(1), 101-136. (with E. Jonas/T. Kessler).

Prof. Dr. Alexander Gallus

Professorship Political Theory and the History of Ideas, TU Chemnitz

is a political scientist and historian working in the field of contemporary history and researching primarily on the questions of political thinking and intellectuals in the 20th century. He is deeply interested in the perception of cesura and intellectual processing of personal turning points in the repeatedly exploding realms of experience during "The Age of Extremes" (Eric Hobsbawm). Prof. Gallus has also dealt with outlier and the third way positions as well as challenges of exile and transnational linkages. Recently his publication "Meinhof, Mahler, Ensslin. Die Akten der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes" has received wide public attention.

Selected Publications
(2016) Politikwissenschaftliche Passagen. Deutsche Streifzüge zur Erkundung eines Faches. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag (ed.).
(2015) Zur Historisierung und Aktualität des 20. Jahrhunderts. Signaturen quer zu den großen politischen Ordnungssystemen und Narrativen, Jahrbuch Extremismus und Demokratie 27, 13-32.

Dr. Piotr Kocyba

Research Associate, Chair for Central and Eastern European Studies, TU Chemnitz

deals with questions of political culture and democracy quality in East Central Europe, primarily with the impact of populism on representative democracy of the western type. Since the begin of Pegida demonstrations, Kocyba researches on right-wing protest movements und scientific approaches to racist dispositions in the society. He has been the board member of the Institute for Protest and Social Movement Research since 2006 and is the co-author of the institute's study "Protestforschung am Limit".

Selected Publications
(2016) Über die ‚Veredelung des empirisch vorfindbaren Rassismus‘. Anmerkungen zu aktuellen Dresdner Studien über Pegida. In: J. Klose/W. Schmitz (eds): Freiheit, Angst und Provokation. Dresden: Thelem, 187-237.
(2016) Wieso PEGIDA keine Bewegung harmloser, besorgter Bürger ist. In: K.-S. Rehberg/F. Kunz/T. Schlinzig (eds): PEGIDA: Rechtspopulismus zwischen Fremdenangst und ‚Wende‘-Enttäuschung? Bielefeld: transcript Verlag, 147-163.

Jun.-Prof. Dr. habil. Tom Mannewitz

Junior Professorship in Political Science Research Methods, TU Chemnitz

focuses in his primarily comparative research on political extremism and democracy, political culture in Germany as well as methods of political science (including macro-qualitative methods, concept and indicator research). In 2014, he habilitated with a work on reconceptualization and regionalization of political culture in Germany. He currently holds Junior Professorship in Research Methods of Political Science at TU Chemnitz.

Selected Publications
(2015) Politische Kultur und demokratischer Verfassungsstaat. Ein subnationaler Vergleich zwei Jahrzehnte nach der deutschen Wiedervereinigung. Baden-Baden: Nomos.
(2015) 'Jenseits von „Islamismus“, „Links-“ und „Rechtsextremismus“ – eine gefahrenorientierte Extremismustypologie', Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft 5, 61-87.

Prof. Dr. Tom Thieme

Professorship social policy education, College of the Saxonian Police (FH)

is since 2017 professor for social policy education at the College of the Saxonian Police (FH). He studied political science, sociology and geography at Technical University Chemnitz, did a doctorate in 2007 about extreme political parties in Eastern Europe, qualified as a university lecturer in 2013 by a comparative work on system changes in 1989/90. His reseach focus lies in the area of democracy, dictatorship and extremism.

Selected Publications
(2011) 'Extremismus in den EU-Staaten', Wiesbaden: Springer VS (Hrsg. mit E. Jesse).
(2015) 'Extremistisches Gefahrenpotenzial – Untersuchungsgegenstand, Messung und Fallbeispiele', Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, Sonderband Extremismus 25, 37-59.

Dr. phil. Alexander Yendell

Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, Leipzig University

is a research associate in the Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology (Leipzig University) and member of the Center for the Study of Right-Wing Extremism and Democracy (KReDo). Since 2009, he has been researching on religious pluralism, with special attention to attitudes towards Islam and Muslims. His reseach focus lies in the area of public attitudes towards migration, particularly towards migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and religious minorities.

Selected Publications
(2016) 'Islam als Bedrohung? Beschreibung und Erklärung von Einstellungen zum Islam im Ländervergleich', Zeitschrift für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, 1-37 (with G. Pickel).
(2016) Wer unterstützt PEGIDA und was erklärt die Zustimmung zu den Zielen der Bewegung? In: O. Decker/J. Kiess/E. Brähler (eds.): Die enthemmte Mitte: rechtsextreme und autoritäre Einstellung 2016. Gießen: Psychosozial-Verlag, 137-152 (with O.Decker/E.Brähler).