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Paper short abstract

The Semsrott brothers view the rise of the AfD in Germany as an obligation for citizens to take responsibility for democracy. In a series of events titled Prepping for Future, the activists develop humorous yet highly effective strategies for resilience. What have they learned from prophets of doom?

Paper long abstract

Is history repeating itself? The roaring twenties of the last century were followed by Hitler’s rise to power. The parallels with the ascent of the AfD in Berlin’s hinterland appear striking, especially from the perspective of the German capital, where an urban community still celebrates cosmopolitanism and queerness.

When Nico Semrott was member of the European Parliament for the satirical party Die Partei visitors always asked him: “What can I do as an individual?” He left Parliament in 2024; the year his brother Arne published a guide how to resist the extreme right and answered this question with concrete advice. Conclusion: Self-protection is a priority, but even a single person can make a difference.

For some time now, the brothers have been addressing these issues in a series of events titled Prepping for Future. The Semsrotts aim to make it as entertaining as possible and as serious as necessary. By testing ideas, inviting audiences to vote on them, and developing strategies collectively, their focus has gradually shifted from individual to collective action.

The series began with Prepping for Future #1 in 2025 and will conclude with #6 in 2026. How does the brothers’ diagnosis of contemporary Germany help to analyse how polarisation and fear are reshaping everyday life? How do the Semsrotts draw on aesthetics and rhetorics of doom? What can be learned from the practices of self-protection they propose? How are these connected to the protection of democracy? What forms of solidarity and belonging do their events evoke?