“Querdenken-Movement” in Germany during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

The safety measures and restrictions imposed by the German federal government to protect people during the Covid 19 pandemic led to the formation of a protest movement, the “Querdenken”-movement, which criticized, among other things, the restrictions on freedom of assembly. In their criticism, the "Querdenkenden" referred to the norms of democracy and freedom, which they saw endangered by the restrictions. In order to retrospectively understand the argumentation of the “Querdenken”-movement, an analysis of selected Twitter profiles of the movement was conducted and central themes as well as strands of argumentation were examined. In the process, fractures and ambivalences in the narratives around democracy and freedom became apparent.