New Books Network Paula Oppermann, "Thunder Cross: Fascist Antisemitism in Twentieth-Century Latvia" (U Wisconsin Press, 2025)
Oct 29, 2025
Holocaust historian Paula Oppermann delves into her book on the Pērkonkrusts, Latvia's most significant right-wing political party from the 1930s. She details the roots of Latvian antisemitism linked to early nationalism and discusses the party's infamous propaganda and its connection to university politics. The conversation highlights the street violence stemming from a football match and the group's adaptation to bans. Oppermann also examines the legacy of fascism and antisemitism in Latvia post-World War II, making it a crucial study of European fascist movements.
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Fascist Vision Of A 'New' Latvia
- Latvian Thunder Cross adopted core fascist features like glorifying violence, creating a 'new man', and demanding a homogenous, dictatorial society.
- They framed Jews as racial pollutants and modernity's enemies to justify authoritarian revival and ethnic purification.
Symbolic Denial With Swastika-Like Emblem
- Thunder Cross publicly avoided calling itself 'fascist' because Latvian society was strongly anti-German, yet it adopted Nazi-style symbols and uniforms.
- Their emblem blended Latvian folk crosses with a swastika-like fire cross to allow deniability while signaling ideological kinship.
Antisemitism Rooted In Ethnic Nationalism
- Antisemitism in Latvia originated in 19th-century ethnic nationalism and was mainstream-acceptable though not always majority-held.
- Influential journalists, politicians, and public figures enabled antisemitic ideas, making them tolerated if not universally endorsed.
