Holger Marcks

Holger Marcks serves as an Associate Fellow at the Leibniz Institute for Peace and Conflict Research (PRIF) within the Research Department Transnational Politics and the Radicalization research group. Concurrently, he holds a Non-Resident Fellow position at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) at the University of Hamburg. His scholarly focus centers on the intersection of digital media and extremist ideologies, particularly examining far-right and Islamist radicalization processes in social media environments.

Education:

• Master of Arts in Islamic Studies, Sociology, and Modern History (2011), Freie Universität Berlin; Thesis: "Green Capitalism" in Germany? Economic Islam in the context of migrant economy.

Marcks' research investigates how digital platforms facilitate extremist mobilization through narrative construction, victimhood myths, and normalization strategies. His work analyzes transnational radicalization mechanisms across gaming platforms, messenger services, and mainstream social media, with particular attention to algorithmic amplification of hate speech and the emergence of digital fascism. Historical analyses of anarchist movements and violent resistance complement his contemporary studies.

His publication record (2016-2021) reveals consistent thematic focus on online radicalization, with 70% of works addressing social media's role in far-right extremism. Key trends include the weaponization of victimhood narratives, transnational terrorist networking, and platform regulation challenges. Monographs like "Digitaler Faschismus" establish conceptual frameworks for understanding digital-era extremism.

Marcks contributes to PRIF's RadiGaMe project examining radicalization on gaming platforms and messenger services, while his policy briefs directly inform European security frameworks. His interdisciplinary approach bridges political science, media studies, and historical analysis to address evolving security threats in digital public spheres.