New Books in History Paula Oppermann, "Thunder Cross: Fascist Antisemitism in Twentieth-Century Latvia" (U Wisconsin Press, 2025)
Oct 29, 2025
Paula Oppermann, a prominent Holocaust historian and researcher, delves into her book about the Pērkonkrusts, Latvia’s largest right-wing party in the early 20th century. She discusses the party's roots in European fascism and its distinct antisemitic ideology, which influenced Latvian nationalism. Oppermann reveals how universities fostered anti-Jewish sentiments and the violent mobilization that culminated in the 1932 football-stadium pogrom. She also explores the group's adaptations after being banned, their collaboration with Nazis, and how postwar narratives recast their past.
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Latvian Fascism Embraced Classic Fascist Core
- Thunder Cross adopted core fascist features like cultic leadership, violence, and a 'new man' ideology rooted in ethnic purity.
- Their slogan 'Latvia for Latvians' fused fascism with ethnic nationalism long before WWII.
Symbolic Deniability Hid Explicit Nazi Influence
- Thunder Cross publicly distanced itself from Nazism while borrowing symbols and styles to avoid association with disliked Baltic Germans.
- Their fire-cross emblem deliberately echoed the swastika while claiming folkloric roots for deniability.
Elite Acceptance Normalized Anti‑Jewish Ideas
- Anti-Semitism in Latvia evolved from 19th-century ethnic nationalism and mainstream acceptance by elites.
- Intellectuals and media enabled radicals, making anti-Jewish ideas socially tolerated if not universally held.
