Leitkultur (guiding culture)

The term „Leitkultur“ (guiding culture) emerged in the course of political debates on integration (Novak, 2006, 17). It was introduced in 1996 by the political scientist Bassam Tibi. According to Tibi, the European guiding culture is based on a Western liberal value system, which is based on „democracy, secularism, enlightenment, human right[s] and civil society“ (Tibi, 2000, 154). In the course of political disputes about immigration policy, the term was repeatedly discussed critically. In the process, the term took on an increasingly political connotation.

From term to political issue

In an article in the „Süddeutsche Zeitung“ in 1998, the CDU politician Jörg Schönbohm used the term „Leitkultur“ as a direct contrast to „multicultural“ and as an attempt to define national identity (cf. ZIELCKE, SZ, 1998). Jörg Schönbohm assumes that foreigners refuse to integrate and sees the introduction of a Leitkultur as indispensable to protect the values of the German constitution (cf. Kowitz, SZ, 1998).

In October 2000, Friedrich Merz, the then leader of the CDU parliamentary group, took up the term and demanded rules for immigration and integration and, in the course of this, also a uniform „liberal German Leitkultur“ for Germany, since only in this way could integration function (Merz, Die Welt, 2000). Through this, the term Leitkultur is connoted in the long term with a conservative worldview and the corresponding migration policy (EBD, SZ, 2000). Likewise, the term is also interpreted as an antithesis to multiculture.

Renewed upswing of the Leitkultur debate

Due to the refugee crisis in 2015, the question of Leitkultur got a new boost. In 2017, for example, Thomas de Maizière (then Federal Minister of the Interior) wrote a 10-point catalog on Leitkultur in Germany, triggering a renewed debate (de Maizière, Bild am Sonntag, 2017).

The idea of a defined Leitkultur as a guideline for immigrants was particularly well received in the strongly conservative to right-wing camps. For example, the AfD parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament published a position paper on „Leitkultur, Identität und Patriotismus“ in which, for example, „the protection and promotion of the German Leitkultur is demanded to be included as a state objective in the Thuringian constitution and the Basic Law“ (AfD parliamentary group, position paper: Leitkultur, Identität und Patriotismus, 2018).

A legal regulation regarding Leitkultur was not able to prevail at the federal level. However, the basic idea of Leitkultur entered some laws at the state level, such as the „Bayrische Integrationsgesetz“ (Bavarian Integration Act) according to which broadcasters are to „contribute to the teaching of the German language and the Leitkultur“ (FAZ, 2019).

The debate about Leitkultur germinates again and again in the media. For example, Philipp Amthor (CDU) attempted to raise the issue of Leitkultur through his essay „In good shape? Unser Land braucht eine Leitkultur-Debatte“ (cf. Amthor, 2020, p. 5 ff.) a renewed push to bring the question of Leitkultur back into focus.

Criticism of the ‚Leitkultur

Bassam Tibi himself assesses the two societal debates on the German Leitkultur (2000-2017) as failed (bpb.de, Tibi, 2017). He criticizes that his term „Leitkultur“ is used without consensus of his works and thus „uninformed things [are] assumed“(Bpb.de, Tibi, 2017).

Furthermore, the existence of a Leitkultur is significantly questioned and fundamentally rejected by many politicians. They prefer to call for an understanding of values and norms that the Basic Law represents such as equality or freedom of speech (bpb.de, 2020). In the course of this, the Commissioner for Integration (as of 2017) Aydan Özuguz (SPD) comments: „…because a specifically German culture, beyond the language, is simply not identifiable […]. The constitutional norms of the Basic Law provide the regulatory framework for the coexistence of citizens […]“ (Özuoguz, Tagesspiegel Causa, 2017).

Finally, after almost 20 years of debates about the Leitkultur, the question arises about its meaningfulness. For example, Ruprecht Polenz (CDU) comments as follows: „One could actually have learned from all these debates that they are not really purposeful. We should promote a culture of coexistence.“ (Polenz, Deutschlandfunk, 2017).

International perspective

Discussions about the respective Leitkultur are also increasingly flaring up internationally. This is also the case in the United States, where for centuries immigrants had to adapt to the familiar, white and Protestant-influenced Leitkultur. Nevertheless, American society is experiencing a structural change due to the increasing immigration of Latin American citizens. Through this, the familiar guiding culture is inevitably experiencing change.

This change is always strongly debated, as both liberal and politically conservative politicians have an increasing interest in the new immigrants as a political force, in the visibly shrinking voter community (cf. Wergin, Die Welt, 2015).

Likewise, the debate about Leitkultur plays an important role again and again in the Catholic Church. For example, Pope Francis commented: „We do not have a Christian Leitkultur, there is no longer one! We are no longer the only ones who shape culture, and we are neither the first nor the most listened to“ (FAZ, 2019).  The head of the church calls for a return to the Catholic Church and a more merciful approach to refugees as a Christian guiding culture (see Zeit online, 2019).

 

Literature

AfD parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament: Position paper: Leitkultur, identity, patriotism. Erfurt, 2018

AMTHOR, Philipp: In good shape? Our country needs a Leitkultur debate, in: Hauptmann, Ralph &. Brinkhaus, Mark: A policy for tomorrow, The young generation demands its political right. Freiburg, Herder Verlag, 2020 pp. 5-6.

KOWITZ: The fear of overturning. In: SZ of 02.09.1998.

NOWAK, Jürgen: Leitkultur und Parallelgesellschaft – Argumente wider einen deutschen Mythos. Frankfurt a.M., 2006. p. 17

PAUTZ, Hartwig: Die deutsche Leitkultur: Eine Identitätsdebatte. New Right, Neo-racism and Efforts at Normalization. Stuttgart, 2005.

Tibi, Bassam,: Europe without Identity? The crisis of the multicultural society. btb. 2000. p. 154

ZIELCKE: Strangers when we meet. In: SZ from 27.06.1998.

 

List of sources

Bundesministerium des Innern, für Bau und Heimat (2017), Leitkultur für Deutschland – Was ist das eigentlich?:

https://www.bmi.bund.de/SharedDocs/interviews/DE/2017/05/namensartikel-bild.html

[last accessed on: 18.08.2020]

Federal Agency for Civic Education (2020), Leitkultur: https://www.bpb.de/nachschlagen/lexika/das-junge-politik-lexikon/161369/leitkultur

[last accessed on: 18.08.2020]

Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (2017), Leitkultur als Integrationskonzept :https://www.bpb.de/politik/extremismus/islamismus/255521/leitkultur-als-integrationskonzept-revisited

[last access on: 18.08.2020]

Deutschlandfunk (2017), Debatte über Leitkultur:

https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/debatte-ueber-leitkultur-der-begriff-passt-nicht-in-eine.694.de.html?dram:article_id=385088

[last access on: 18.08.2020]

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2019), „We no longer have a Christian Leitkultur“: https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/papst-franziskus-keine-christliche-leitkultur-mehr-16547259.html

[last access on: 20.08.2020]

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (2019), Bavarian integration law partially unconstitutional:

https://www.faz.net/aktuell/politik/inland/bayerisches-integrationsgesetz-teilweise-verfassungswidrig-16516591.html

[last access on: 08/18/2020]

Tagesspiegel Causa (2017), Leitkultur degenerates into a cliché of being German: https://causa.tagesspiegel.de/gesellschaft/wie-nuetzlich-ist-eine-leitkultur-debatte/leitkultur-verkommt-zum-klischee-des-deutschseins.html

[last access on: 18.08.2020]

Welt (2015), The new Leitkultur of the USA: https://www.welt.de/print/wams/politik/article137938554/Die-neue-Leitkultur-der-USA.html

[last access on: 20.08.2020]

Zeit online (2019), „We no longer have a Christian Leitkultur“: https://www.zeit.de/gesellschaft/ausland/2019-12/papst-franziskus-ansprache-katholische-kirche-veraenderungen

[last access on: 20.08.2020]