Free to Hate: The Rise of the Right in Post-Communist Eastern Europe

by Paul Hockenos

Combining first-hand reporting, original documentation, and political analysis, Free to Hate is the first major work in English to investigate the rise of the ultra-nationalist and radical right-wing movements that have been sweeping Central and Eastern Europe since 1989. In this powerful volume, Paul Hockenos provides an account of the emergence and contemporary relevance of far right movements in countries including Germany, Hungary, Romania, and Poland. In addition, he discusses neo-Nazi youth subculture, anti-Semitism, racism, minority issues, and the revision of history in the post-communist states.

Genres: History, Politics

342 pages, Paperback

First published September 20, 1993

Reviews

[Charro Sebring]

Having read this for the first time in 2022, it's frightening to see the exact same rhetoric being employed in the USA as the far right used in post-Soviet Eastern Europe, many of whom saw nothing wrong with Hitler or the Nazis. I think this is still an important work to be read to not only understand how the West failed the former Soviet bloc countries, but also to understand what is happening with the fascist movements both in Western Europe and the USA today.

[Anna]

Horrifying read in 2022, to think what was already known ~30 years ago about the need for inter state cooperation

[Tom]

The author has done a very good job of researching the various far right, nationalist and populist groups that emerged after the fall of communism. He details the rise of such groups within the historical perspective of each country and details their cultural and political links.

The chapters on East Germany and Romania are particularly good. If you want a detailed and comprehensive study of the rise of the far right post 1989 then this is the book for you.

It would be nice to see an updated version and what has gone on since Hockenos wrote this book in 1993 and what happened to the various parties he studied back then.