Duration: October 2026 – September 2030
PIs: Prof. Thorsten Quandt (University of Münster)
Team: Prof. Dr. Walter Quattrociocchi (Italy), Dr. Mathias Felipe De Lima Santos (Spain)
Funding: Volkswagen Foundation, Funding initiative: “Transformational Knowledge on Democracies under Change”
Keywords: Digital communication, Disinformation, History, Historical narratives, Far-right communication, Political communication, Social media, Democracy
History plays a central role in shaping collective identities and public memory. In digital communication environments, however, historical narratives are increasingly reinterpreted and mobilized for political purposes. In particular, far-right actors draw on references to National Socialism, Italian Fascism, and the Franco regime to legitimize ideological messages, influence public debates, and reach new audiences.
The project “Manipulating the Past: Far-Right Ideologies and the Instrumentalization of History” investigates how such historical narratives emerge, spread, and are strategically employed across digital media. Adopting a comparative European perspective, the project examines communication processes in Germany, Italy, and Spain, with particular attention to the role of digital platforms in disseminating and amplifying these narratives.
The project aims to advance our understanding of the digital instrumentalization of history and its implications for democratic societies. In addition, it develops evidence-based educational materials and concepts to foster critical engagement with historical narratives and digital information.
The project is led by Prof. Thorsten Quandt at the Online Communication Lab (OCL), together with co-PIs Prof. Dr. Walter Quattrociocchi and Dr. Mathias Felipe De Lima Santos. It is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation through the funding initiative „Transformational Knowledge on Democracies under Change“.