Elke Rajal

Elke Rajal is a research associate at the University of Passau (Chair of Sociology, Prof. Dr Karin Stögner).

Her research examines contemporary antisemitism across political spectra and institutional settings, with a focus on how crisis narratives and conspiracy myths mobilise extremist politics.

She is taking a leadership role in projects analysing:

(1) antisemitic conspiracy myths and crisis discourses as pivot points of far-right mobilisation in Bavaria (2024–2027)

(2) “progressive” responses in political and academic milieux to the 7 October 2023 Hamas massacre (2025–2027)

(3) the German far right and 7 October (2025–2026).

In addition, she is at the final stage of her PhD. Her dissertation on antisemitism and coming to terms with the past in post-Nazi societies has already been submitted and reviewed and is scheduled to be defended in the autumn 2025.

Her publications combine critical theory in the tradition of the Frankfurt School with empirical work, including comparative studies of Holocaust education as a lever against contemporary antisemitism (Educational Review, 2025) and forthcoming/accepted pieces in the Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism. She is currently also guest-editing a special issue of the JCA on antisemitism and education, a key focus of her research.

In addition, she has authored a wide range of publications (in German) on various historical aspects of National Socialism and its legacies into the present.

image credit: University Library Augsburg, Anatoli Oskin.