The two unidentified researchers who conducted the study for the German Friedrich Ebert Fund surveyed 5,000 German citizens to determine their level of agreement with extreme right-wing views. The results were troubling.
The findings showed that 18 percent of Germans believe Jews have too much influence in the country. Fourteen percent said that Jews are more inclined to cheat in business, and an equal number said Jews are not fit to live in Germany because they are different.
Those who expressed anti-Semitic views were primarily elderly and unemployed; the more educated the respondent, the less anti-Semitic were his or her expressed views. Men were more anti-Semitic than women.
Anti-Semitism was found to be higher in western Germany than eastern Germany, and was more prevalent in the wealthy provinces of Bavaria and Nordrhein-Westfalia, where 10 percent revealed anti-Semitic sentiments. Only 4 percent of the respondents in eastern Germany expressed anti-Semitic views.
Additional findings by the researchers showed equally problematic trends:
The German-language study is posted on the homepage of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
The findings showed that 18 percent of Germans believe Jews have too much influence in the country. Fourteen percent said that Jews are more inclined to cheat in business, and an equal number said Jews are not fit to live in Germany because they are different.
Those who expressed anti-Semitic views were primarily elderly and unemployed; the more educated the respondent, the less anti-Semitic were his or her expressed views. Men were more anti-Semitic than women.
Anti-Semitism was found to be higher in western Germany than eastern Germany, and was more prevalent in the wealthy provinces of Bavaria and Nordrhein-Westfalia, where 10 percent revealed anti-Semitic sentiments. Only 4 percent of the respondents in eastern Germany expressed anti-Semitic views.
Additional findings by the researchers showed equally problematic trends:
- 15 percent believe Germans are naturally superior to other people
- 28 percent long for Germany to return to its position as a major international player and condone using force to ‘reach the position [they] deserve’
- 26 percent hope for a single popular party to take control of the nation
- 9 percent support a German dictatorship
- 35 percent in western Germany and 44 percent in the east said “foreigners come to Germany only to exploit it.”
The German-language study is posted on the homepage of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.