Stahlgewitter
Encyclopedia
Stahlgewitter is a controversial German
Hard Rock
and Rock Against Communism
group founded in 1995. Despite the genre's name, RAC song lyrics rarely focus on the specific topic of anti-communism
. Rather, RAC lyrics typically feature nationalist themes. Stahlgewitter is listed by the group 'Netz gegen Nazis' (Network Against Nazis) as one of the more popular contemporary Rock Against Communism groups. This categorises Stahlgewitter in amongst other more historical Rock Against Communism groups such as the English band Skrewdriver
which played a lending role in the formation of RAC and the fellow German band Landser
who are now deemed a "criminal gang organisation" in Germany.
. However the band's lyrics never directly attack or demean any race or nationality, which then means it is not categorised as hate speech outside of Germany. This has led to the band's music being used to create fan made music videos which then can be uploaded to YouTube without Censorship.
Stahlgewitter's lyrics however, do promote extremism by promoting and praising National Socialism or organisations that were under the German Nazi party whom engaged in crimes against humanity through the means of both genocide
and democide
.
In their lyrics they complain about "Zionist occupied governments" as well pay homage to today's neo-Nazis as "political soldiers" by proclaiming them to be today's Sturmabteilung
(SA) or "brownshirts", a paramilitary organisation of the Nazi Party that played a key rôle in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s.
One example is their praise in their song 'Ruhm und Ehre der Waffen SS' of the Waffen SS who committed numerous War crimes, partially civilian massacres (see Waffen-SS#War crimes) :
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
Hard Rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
and Rock Against Communism
Rock Against Communism
Rock Against Communism started out as series of white power rock concerts in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s, and is also a name for the subsequent music genre. Despite its name, RAC song lyrics rarely focus on the specific topic of anti-communism...
group founded in 1995. Despite the genre's name, RAC song lyrics rarely focus on the specific topic of anti-communism
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
. Rather, RAC lyrics typically feature nationalist themes. Stahlgewitter is listed by the group 'Netz gegen Nazis' (Network Against Nazis) as one of the more popular contemporary Rock Against Communism groups. This categorises Stahlgewitter in amongst other more historical Rock Against Communism groups such as the English band Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver
Skrewdriver was an English punk rock band formed by Ian Stuart Donaldson in Poulton-le-Fylde in 1976. They later evolved into one of the first neo-Nazi rock bands, playing a leading role in the Rock Against Communism movement and becoming known as the most prominent white power skinhead...
which played a lending role in the formation of RAC and the fellow German band Landser
Landser
Landser may refer to:*A colloquial term for a Landsknecht*A German colloquial term for a soldier derived from the above, equivalent to the English term "squaddie"...
who are now deemed a "criminal gang organisation" in Germany.
Hate Speech
For their supposed Nazi ties the band has been investigated by the German police for supporting hate speech. The band is listed as a hate group for these reasons by the US organisation the Anti-Defamation LeagueAnti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League is an international non-governmental organization based in the United States. Describing itself as "the nation's premier civil rights/human relations agency", the ADL states that it "fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry, defends democratic ideals and protects...
. However the band's lyrics never directly attack or demean any race or nationality, which then means it is not categorised as hate speech outside of Germany. This has led to the band's music being used to create fan made music videos which then can be uploaded to YouTube without Censorship.
Stahlgewitter's lyrics however, do promote extremism by promoting and praising National Socialism or organisations that were under the German Nazi party whom engaged in crimes against humanity through the means of both genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
and democide
Democide
Democide is a term revived and redefined by the political scientist R. J. Rummel as "the murder of any person or people by a government, including genocide, politicide, and mass murder." Rummel created the term as an extended concept to include forms of government murder that are not covered by the...
.
In their lyrics they complain about "Zionist occupied governments" as well pay homage to today's neo-Nazis as "political soldiers" by proclaiming them to be today's Sturmabteilung
Sturmabteilung
The Sturmabteilung functioned as a paramilitary organization of the National Socialist German Workers' Party . It played a key role in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s...
(SA) or "brownshirts", a paramilitary organisation of the Nazi Party that played a key rôle in Adolf Hitler's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s.
One example is their praise in their song 'Ruhm und Ehre der Waffen SS' of the Waffen SS who committed numerous War crimes, partially civilian massacres (see Waffen-SS#War crimes) :
| Original German Lyrics | English Translation |
|---|---|
|
|
Discography
- 1996 - "Das eiserne Gebet"
- 1998 - "Germania"
- 2001 - "Amalek"
- 2002 - "Politischer Soldat"
- 2003 - "Germania über alles"
- 2006 - "Auftrag Deutsches Reich"
- 2008 - "Politischer Soldat - Neuauflage"
German
- Christian Dornbusch/Jan Raabe (Hrsg.): RechtsRock. Bestandsaufnahme und Gegenstrategien. Unrast Verlag, Münster 2002, ISBN 3-89771-808-1
- Antifaschistische Infoblatt“-Autoren: White Noise. Einblicke in die internationale Neonazi-Musik-Szene. Unrast Verlag, Münster 2004, ISBN 3-89771-807-3