The 5-percent electoral threshold (Fünf-Prozent-Hürde) is the most well-known yet omnipresent instrument of the German federal electoral system. Officially cited as a historical lesson designed to prevent parliamentary fragmentation like that of the Weimar Republic,…
The Amish represent one of the most distinctive religious minority groups with a remarkable history of persecution and cultural preservation. Emerging from the Anabaptist movement of the Radical Reformation in 16th century Europe, the Amish…
The Mennonites represent one of the most significant religious minority groups with a centuries-long history of persecution. Emerging from the Radical Reformation of the 16th century, they trace their origins back to the Anabaptist movement…
For decades, the German Basic Law with its Article 5, Paragraph 3 – “Art and science, research and teaching shall be free” – served as an international gold standard. Anyone needing to report on state…
“History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” This oft-quoted bon mot by Mark Twain takes on an oppressive relevance in light of current developments within the Berlin Republic. When we discuss the expansion of…
Anyone opening the contemporary Criminal Code ($StGB$) of the Federal Republic of Germany might believe they are looking at the most progressive constitutional framework in German history. Yet, behind this contemporary facade lies a fundamental,…
Berlin, 1967. Berlin, 1992. Berlin, 2026. The locations remain the same, the actors change, but the pattern persists: For decades, Iran has used German territory as an operational base for the persecution, intimidation, and liquidation…
In the dark chapters of witch hunts, the accusation of “Maleficium” (harmful magic) was the ultimate weapon of the judiciary. It allowed misfortune, illness, or economic failure to be attributed to an unpopular person—without ever…
Is Germany reaching an “authoritarian tipping point”? While the Federal Republic formally remains a democracy, sociologists and political analysts warn of a creeping erosion of democratic values. On politischeverfolgung.de, we analyze the transition from a…
From the historical lessons of the 20th century to the pandemic measures of the 2020s: Political power has always sought control over the medical profession. An analysis of why the “white coat” is so valuable…
“First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out…” – These lines by theologian Martin Niemöller have become a worldwide symbol for the failure of civil society in the face of an…
Political persecution by Iran is not confined to its own borders. While the global public focuses on geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, the Mullah regime is waging a covert war against dissidents on German…