Dr. Peter Staudenmaier on ‘Spiritual Racism from Fascist Italy to the New Age,’ Feb. 11

The Humanities Research Colloquium will host Dr. Peter Staudenmaier, associate professor of history in the Klingler College of Arts and Sciences, for its first talk of the semester on Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 4 p.m. in Marquette Hall 105 and via Teams.

Staudenmaier will present "Julius Evola and the Radical Right: Spiritual Racism from Fascist Italy to the New Age."

Julius Evola was an Italian fascist intellectual who championed an aggressive form of antisemitism that he termed "spiritual racism." In the 1930s and 1940s, he promoted his racial ideology in both Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. After World War II, Evola became a leader in the neo-fascist milieu. An iconic figure for successive generations of the radical right, Evola has become famous since his death and is celebrated today by young members of the far right around the world, along with many people interested in alternative spirituality. In this talk, Staudenmaier will examine Evola's incongruous legacy in the context of the current global resurgence of the radical right.

Peter Staudenmaier's research centers on Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and the history of racial thought. He is the author of several books, including "Between Occultism and Nazism: Anthroposophy and the Politics of Race in the Fascist Era," "Ecology Contested: Environmental Politics between Left and Right," and "The Politics of Nature in Nazi Germany: Environmental Ideals and the Myth of Blood and Soil." His talk is part of a new book forthcoming from Routledge, titled "Julius Evola and the Radical Right: Spiritual Racism from Fascist Italy to the New Age."

All are welcome to attend. Contact Dr. Melissa Ganz, associate professor of English, at [email protected] for the Teams meeting link.