The Collegium Humanum was an

ecofascist Ecofascism, sometimes spelled eco-fascism, is a term used to describe individuals and groups which combine environmentalism with fascism. Philosopher André Gorz characterised eco-fascism as hypothetical forms of totalitarianism based on an ...

organisation in Germany from 1963 to 2008. It was established in 1963 as a

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises * ...

, was first active in the German

environmental movement The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement) is a social movement that aims to protect the natural world from harmful environmental practices in order to create sustainable living. In its recognition of humanity a ...

, then from the early 1980s became a far-right political organisation and was banned in 2008 by the Federal Minister of the Interior

Wolfgang Schäuble Wolfgang Schäuble (; 18 September 1942 – 26 December 2023) was a German politician whose political career spanned more than five decades. A member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), he was the longest-serving member of any democratic G ...

due to "continued denial of the Holocaust".

History

The Collegium Humanum was founded in 1963 by Werner Georg Haverbeck, a former

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

, as a "community college () for the environment and protection of life" in

Vlotho Vlotho () is a town in the district of Herford, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Vlotho is located along the Weser river, south of the Wiehengebirge, bordering on the Ravensberger Hügelland in the west, Lipperland in the south, ...

. The Collegium Humanum was registered as a non-profit association in

Bad Oeynhausen Bad Oeynhausen () is a spa town on the southern edge of the Wiehengebirge in the district of Minden-Lübbecke in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe, East-Westphalia-Lippe region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The closest larger towns are Bielefeld (39 ki ...

(entry date: December 10, 1968). From 1972 the Collegium was a member of the German section of the

World Union for Protection of Life The World Union for Protection of Life (German: ''Weltbund zum Schutz des Lebens'', French: ''Union Mondiale pour la Protection de la Vie'', Russian: Всемирный союз для защиты жизни) is an international non-profit orga ...

. In the run-up to the 1979 European elections, preparatory talks were held in the Collegium Humanum to establish the (SPV), in which conservative and middle-class environmental initiatives were organized. At the same time, the "Ecological Manifesto" of the

National Democratic Party of Germany National Democratic Party of Germany (, NPD), officially called The Homeland () since 2023, is a Far-right politics, far-right, Neo-Nazism, neo-Nazi and Ultranationalism, ultranationalist political party in Germany. It was founded in 1964 as ...

was being drawn up there.

Funding

The Collegium Humanum was financed through seminar fees and donations.

Prohibition

According to critical statements by the President of the (

Central Council of Jews in Germany The Central Council of Jews in Germany (German: ''Zentralrat der Juden in Deutschland'') is a federation of German Jews. It was founded on 19 July 1950, as a response to the increasing isolation of German Jews by the international Jewish commu ...

Charlotte Knobloch Charlotte Knobloch (born 29 October 1932, as Charlotte Neuland) is the former President of Central Council of Jews in Germany () from 2006 to 2010. She is also Vice President of the European Jewish Congress and the World Jewish Congress. She ...

, she was threatened on 30 January 2008 in a letter from the chairman of the association and subsequently filed a complaint. On 7 May 2008, the Collegium Humanum, including the affiliated association "Bauernhilfe e. V.", was banned by the Federal Minister of the Interior under section 3 of the Association Act, as "against the constitutional order of the Federal Republic of Germany (judges) and (...) continued by (...) denial of the Holocaust against valid right." In connection with the banning of the organisation, house searches were carried out at several locations in Germany.

References

{{German far right Far-right politics in Germany Illegal organizations Fascist organizations Holocaust denial in Germany Environmental organisations based in Germany Clubs and societies in Germany Organizations established in 1963 1963 establishments in West Germany Organizations disestablished in 2008 2008 disestablishments in Germany Ecofascism