Esther Lehnert

Professor Esther Lehnert is a prominent faculty member at ASH Berlin (Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin), where she serves as Professor of Theory, History and Practice of Social Work. Her academic career is deeply rooted in critical analysis of right-wing extremism through gendered and historical lenses, with particular focus on how these phenomena intersect with social work practice.

Dr. Lehnert's research interests span multiple interconnected domains: gender and right-wing extremism, socio-educational strategies for dealing with right-wing extremism, history of social work, and history of residential care in both East and West Germany. Her work consistently examines ideologies of inequality, with special attention to how right-wing movements instrumentalize gender constructs. She has developed significant expertise in analyzing the roles of women within right-wing movements, challenging the misconception that these spaces are exclusively male-dominated.

Her publication record demonstrates remarkable consistency and progression, with 15+ publications annually in recent years. The thematic evolution shows increasing sophistication in connecting historical analysis with contemporary right-wing movements, particularly examining how völkisch ideology functions as an exclusionary mechanism. A defining characteristic of her scholarship is the insistence on gender-reflective and historically informed approaches to understanding and countering right-wing extremism in social work contexts.

Lehnert is actively involved in practical applications of her research through her current project JUPORE (Youth work, police and right-wing youth in the 1990s), which examines historical patterns to inform contemporary prevention strategies. She serves as co-editor of ZRex – Zeitschrift für Rechtsextremismusforschung, demonstrating her leadership in establishing right-wing extremism research as a legitimate academic field.

Her professional activities extend beyond academia to include advisory roles with the Gender and Right-Wing Extremism Unit of the Amadeu Antonio Foundation and cooperation with ufuq eV. She has also served as liaison lecturer for the Hans Böckler Foundation, bridging academic research with practical social movement work.