Research Article

Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens

Number: 49 June 21, 2023
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Studien zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur
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Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens

Abstract

This article examines using the Internet whether or not, the extent to which, and in what form Reich citizens use religious language in their texts. To this end, the article will first define religious language in more detail. On the basis of current constitutional protection reports in the Federal Republic of Germany and an evaluation of sources of known Reich citizens, the article has identified a total of 34 Internet domains that will serve as the basis for the investigation. The pilot investigation first examined four lexemes in terms of their distributions in the texts of these domains and showed the religious lexises in a third of the investigated domains to obviously be of no or only secondary importance. This group of domains was not reconsidered in the further investigation with regard to the use of religious language. Another third of the texts showed the religious lexises to be relevant, while the remaining third revealed the religious lexis to even be highly common. The in-depth analysis then proved the frequency of a broader spectrum of religious lexises. The article then exemplified the specific contexts of their uses. With regard to religious argumentation, the article lastly examined the three domains with high frequency religious lexises in more detail. This revealed very different concepts of how religious topics are used to legitimize the ideology of Reich citizens, namely as a justification for völkisch [ethnic] concepts, as higher knowledge, and even as part of Reich citizens’ identity. In the latter case, God-like qualities were attributed to the founder of a specific group of Reich citizens.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Grantová Agentura České Republiky

Project Number

22-00551S

References

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  6. Caspar, Chr. & Neubauer, R. (2017). Reichsbürger contra öffentliche Verwaltung. In A. Speit (Hrsg.). Reichsbürger. Die unterschatzte Gefahr (S. 78-98). Berlin: Ch. Links Verlag. google scholar
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Details

Primary Language

German

Subjects

German Language, Literature and Culture

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Publication Date

June 21, 2023

Submission Date

October 10, 2022

Acceptance Date

January 20, 2023

Published in Issue

Year 2023 Number: 49

DOI

https://doi.org/10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA46SG53GC

Cite

RIS / Bibtex
APA
Schuppener, G. (2023). Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens. Studien Zur Deutschen Sprache Und Literatur, 49, 21-53. https://doi.org/10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964
AMA
1.Schuppener G. Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens. Studien zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur. 2023;(49):21-53. doi:10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964
Chicago
Schuppener, Georg. 2023. “Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens”. Studien Zur Deutschen Sprache Und Literatur, nos. 49: 21-53. https://doi.org/10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964.
EndNote
Schuppener G (June 1, 2023) Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens. Studien zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur 49 21–53.
IEEE
[1]G. Schuppener, “Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens”, Studien zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur, no. 49, pp. 21–53, June 2023, doi: 10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964.
ISNAD
Schuppener, Georg. “Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens”. Studien zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur. 49 (June 1, 2023): 21-53. https://doi.org/10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964.
JAMA
1.Schuppener G. Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens. Studien zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur. 2023;:21–53.
MLA
Schuppener, Georg. “Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens”. Studien Zur Deutschen Sprache Und Literatur, no. 49, June 2023, pp. 21-53, doi:10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964.
Vancouver
1.Georg Schuppener. Religious Language in the Texts of Reich Citizens. Studien zur deutschen Sprache und Literatur. 2023 Jun. 1;(49):21-53. doi:10.26650/sdsl2022-1186964