ABSTRACT
Every political movement has at its disposal a certain repertoire of symbols that can be used in the construction of identity. Symbols help to create and to signal the identity of a community both internally and to the external world. Symbols can also serve thereby particularly to differentiate a group, by making clear to others that they do not belong to the group if they cannot identify with the symbols concerned (Versteckspiel 2017: 6). Above all, symbols offer a means of recognition for the group members on the one hand, and for those outside the group on the other. Finally, they also make it possible to substitute meaning and contents (Heller/Maegerle 2007: 166) and can thus serve as a formal casing or shell, even if this is not at all or insufficiently filled. Just as companies have a corporate identity, the same applies to parties and political groupings, especially for right-wing extremists.
