Xenophobia in right-wing ecological conservation in contemporary Germany: Taking Species Conservation and Animal Protection as Examples

Abstract This article takes xenophobia in right-wing ecological conservation in contemporary Germany as its research object, first examining its manifestation in the history of right-wing ecotourism. Then, using species and animal protection as examples, it specifically analyzes the ways, argumentative characteristics, and underlying motives of the NPD, the AfD, and the Third Way in combining ecological topics with xenophobia. This article emphasizes the continuity and importance of xenophobia in the history of right-wing ecological conservation in Germany and its new characteristics in contemporary times. My conclusion is that xenophobia has always been an important objective of right-wing ecological conservation, and contemporary German right-wing ecological conservation has both maintained historical traditions and undergone contemporary updates. In right-wing ecological conservation in contemporary Germany, far-right parties and organizations use both traditional biologism and more covert cultural racism to incite xenophobia. However, whether advocating the superiority of “species (race)” or “culture,” the underlying ideology is one of inequality. Similar to the argumentation methods in the history of right-wing ecological conservation, species conservation and animal protection in right-wing ecological conservation in contemporary Germany ultimately equate to homeland protection. Therefore, species conservation and animal protection are merely tools for far-right parties and organizations to build their image, disguise xenophobic ideas, and greenwash their agenda. This article contributes to research on immigration and the far right in contemporary Germany.