ABSTRACT
This chapter provides a short overview on major developments and incidents of political protest in Germany in the past century. Political violence was significant among the so-called autonomous groups who, on many occasions, sought confrontation with police and/or engaged in the destruction of property. Therefore, it makes sense to limit the scope of analysis when it comes to empirical research and potential explanations of patterns and trends of political violence. Interestingly, unlike in a few other European countries, political violence among the work force and trade union activities is almost completely absent in Germany since the 1950s. Moreover, right-wingers saw the influx of migrants as a major cause for rising unemployment and welfare cuts. The period until the beginning of WWI was characterized by major street protests organized by left-wing groups claiming, among other things, voting rights, the freedom of assembly, and better conditions in the workplace.
