Biography
Niklas Herrberg, born in 1993 in Münster, Germany. Studies in social sciences in Düsseldorf. In his doctoral thesis in sociology, completed in 2025, he focused on the experiences and understanding of antisemitism among Jews in Germany. From 2020 to 2025, he was a research associate at the Institute for Social Sciences at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. Between 2021 and 2023, he also contributed to the research project “The Impact of Radical Islam on Jewish Life in Germany (ArenDt)” at the same institution. Furthermore, he holds the position of managing editor of the Journal for Religion, Society, and Politics (ZRGP).
In November 2025, Niklas Herrberg joined the working group on antisemitism research at the Institute for Cultural Studies of the Austrian Academy of Sciences as a postdoctoral researcher. There, he is conducting empirical research on the different manifestations of antisemitism in contemporary Austrian society, drawing on the findings of the parliamentary survey “Antisemitism in Austria.”
His research focuses on antisemitism, conspiracy theories, far right movements, and qualitative research methods.
Areas of specialization
antisemitism, conspiracy theories, the extreme right, and qualitative research methods
Current project
Publications
Monography
Antisemitismus in Alltag und Öffentlichkeit – Das Erleben und Ausdeuten von Antisemitismus unter Jüdinnen und Juden in Deutschland, in: Schriftenreihe Interdisziplinäre Antisemitismusforschung – Interdisciplinary Studies on Antisemitism: Baden-Baden, Nomos Verlag, 2025, S. 463.
Articles (7)
Das Antisemitismuserleben als Handlungsherausforderung im Alltag von Jüdinnen:Juden, in: Anne Broden and Birgit Jagusch (eds.) Antisemitismus in der Sozialen Arbeit: Weinheim, Beltz Juventa. Forthcoming, 77-90.
(With Bjarne Goldkuhle, Heiko Beyer und Melanie Reddig) Wie erleben und deuten in Deutschland lebende Jüdinnen:Juden politisch-islamischen Antisemitismus?. In: Shaimaa Abdellah, Sina Tultschinetski, Julian Junk and Manuela Freiheit (eds.) Islamismus als gesellschaftliche Herausforderung – Ursachen, Wirkungen, Handlungsoptionen: Wiesbaden, Springer, 2025, 165-197.
(With Melanie Reddig) Missachtungserfahrungen und Anerkennungsforderungen unter Jüdinnen und Juden in Deutschland, in: Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Volume 53, No. 4, 2024, 331-346. doi.org/10.1515/zfsoz-2024-2028 (English title: Experiences of disrespect and demands for recognition among Jews in Germany)
(With Heiko Beyer, Bjarne Goldkuhle und Melanie Reddig) In Hiding? Multifaceted reactions of German Jews to the threat of antisemitism, in: Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Volume 51, No. 5, 2024, 1390-1412. doi.org/10.1080/1369183X.2024.2417971
(With Heiko Beyer, Bjarne Goldkuhle und Melanie Reddig) „Importierter Antisemitismus"? Differenzierende Wahrnehmungen in Deutschland lebender Jüdinnen und Juden zum politisch-islamischen Antisemitismus als Problem und Debatte, in: Zeitschrift für Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik, Volume 8, 2024, 325-356. doi.org/10.1007/s41682-024-00176-5 (English title: "Imported antisemitism"? Differentiated perceptions of Jews living in Germany on political-Islamic antisemitism as a problem and debate)
(With Heiko Beyer) The revelations of Q. Dissemination and resonance of the QAnon conspiracy theory among US Evangelical Christians and the role of the Covid-19 crisis, in: Zeitschrift für Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik, Volume 7, 2023, 669-687. doi.org/10.1007/s41682-023-00147-2
Durch Gott legitimiert, das „Reich“ zu befreien: Religiöse Semantiken in der Reichsbürgerszene, in: Zeitschrift für Religion, Gesellschaft und Politik, Volume 5, 503-529. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41682-021-00072-2 (English title: Legitimised by God to liberate the “Reich”: Religious semantics in the Reichsbürger-scene)
Review
Die Reichsbürger. Ermächtigungsversuche einer gespenstischen Bewegung von Schönberger, C. & Schönberger, S.: Portal für Politikwissenschaft, 2024.
Lectures and university courses
Lectures
“Not all Muslims” – Jewish perspectives on Islamist antisemitism and the controversy surrounding “imported antisemitism.” Workshop Wegweiser program North Rhine-Westphalia. 08/27/2025. digital. [In German]
Continuity and rupture – The understanding of antisemitism among Jews in Germany before and after October. 5th Forum der International Sociological Association. 07/06/2025–07/11/2025. Rabat, Marokko.
Exploring the manosphere's discourse on prostitution: Unraveling masculine self-perceptions. 5th Forum der International Sociological Association. 07/06/2025–07/11/2025. Rabat, Marokko. (with Carina Schulz)
Antisemitism and the contradictory situation of Jewish life in Germany: Between the necessary remembrance and normality. Lecture at the Friends of History Association, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf. 04/10/2025. Düsseldorf. (with Melanie Reddig) [In German]
Continuity and rupture – The understanding of antisemitism among Jews in Germany before and after October 7th. Conference Contemporary Antisemitism 2025. 03/30/2025–04/01/2025. London, UK.
Understanding Antisemitism among Jews living in Germany–before and after October 7. Conference “Assessing Contemporary Antisemitism: Patterns and Dynamics of a Civilizational Threat". 11/06/2024. Herzliya, Israel.
How victims cope with hate and violence. Workshop at CoRE-NRW. 09/30/2024. digital. [In German]
Understanding antisemitism and its relation to racism–The perspective of German Jews. Conference of the European Sociological Association. 08/27/2024–08/30/2024. Porto, Portugal.
Exploring the manosphere's discourse on prostitution: Unraveling masculine self-perceptions. Conference of the European Sociological Association. 08/27/2024–08/30/2024. Porto, Portugal. (With Carina Schulz)
Muslim antisemitism in interactions: The experience of Jews. Interdisciplinary symposium 2024 "Causes and Effects of Islamism in Germany and Europe" of the RADIS Network. 02/22/2024. Bielefeld, Germany. (With Melanie Reddig) [In German]
Not all Muslims: The perspectives of Jews on political-Islamic antisemitism and the meaning of "radicalism". RADIS Lecture Series. 12/13/2023 Erlangen, Germany. (With Bjarne Goldkuhle) [In German]
The positions of Jews in current controversies regarding the interpretation of antisemitism. Conference of the ArenDt Project. 11/30/2023. digital. [in German]
Not all Muslims: The perspectives of Jews on political-Islamic antisemitism and the meaning of "radicalism". RADIS Lecture Series. 11/01/2023. Leipzig, Germany. (With Bjarne Goldkuhle) [in German]
Legal knowledge and legal interpretations in the “Querdenken” movement: An exploration of agency attributions in times of crisis. Access to law - accessible rights? Fifth Congress of the German-speaking Sociology of Law Associations. 09/21/2023–09/23/2023. Innsbruck, Austria. [in German]
Uncertainty in the life of German Jews. General Conference of the European Consortium for Sociological Research 2023. 09/18/2023–09/20/2023. Prague, Czech Republic. (With Bjarne Goldkuhle)
The German “Querdenken” movement and its Framing of Law and Justice: An Analysis of self-ascribed expertise on Telegram. General Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research. 09/04/2023–09/08/2023. Prague, Czech Republic. (With Marcel Müke & Stephan Soblik)
Experiences of disrespect and demands for recognition by Jews in Germany. Congress of the Austrian Sociological Association. 03.07 - 05.07.2023. Vienna, Austria. [in German]
Legal knowledge and legal interpretations in the “Querdenken” movement: An exploration of agency attributions in times of crisis. Congress of the Austrian Sociological Association. 07/03/2023–07/05/2023. Vienna, Austria. (With Marcel Müke & Stephan Soblik) [in German]
Jewish perspectives on the societal controversy surrounding 'imported antisemitism'. RADIS Annual Conference 2023. 02/13/2023–02/15/2023. Bielefeld, Germany. (With Melanie Reddig) [in German]
'Twisted law'? - On interpretations of punishment in the Querdenken movement. 41st Congress of the German Sociological Association. 09/26/2022–09/30/2022. Bielefeld, Germany. (With Marcel Müke) [in German]
In Hiding? The displacement of German Jews from digital and analog spaces. Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association. 08/05/2022–08/09/2022. Los Angeles, USA. (With Bjarne Goldkuhle)
Conspiracy Myths, Antisemitism and Racism among the German Reichsbürger-Scene: Conceptualizing the Reichsbürger-worldview as an attribution of agency. Conference of the European Sociological Association. 08/31/2021–09/03/2021. digital.
The revelations of Q: On the spread and ideological connectivity of the QAnon conspiracy theory among US evangelicals. Joint Congress of the German Sociological Association and the Austrian Sociological Association. 08/23/2021–08/25/2021. digital. (With Heiko Beyer) [in German]
Entrusted by God to liberate the "Reich": Religious motives as legitimising attributions in the Reichsbürger scene. Congress of the German Sociological Association. 09/14/2020–09/24/2020. digital. [in German]
University courses
Graduate Course: Antisemitism as a multi-faceted Problem of Contemporary Societies. Summer term 2025.
Advanced undergraduate course: Reading Alfred Schütz: The Phenomenology of the Social World. Summer term 2025.
Advanced undergraduate course: Reichsbürger: An interdisciplinary podcast seminar. Winter term 2024/2025. (With Jens Helfer-Fleischhauer)
Advanced undergraduate course: Masculinity and prostitution. Winter term 2024/2025. (With Carina Schulz)
Undergraduate course: Incels in the age of masculinity crisis. Winter term 2024/2025. (With Melanie Reddig)
Advanced undergraduate course: Societal controversies in times of multiple crises of legitimisation. Summer term 2024.
Undergraduate course: Incels in the age of masculinity crisis. Winter term 2023/2024. (With Melanie Reddig)
Educational Research Project: Theoretical concepts and empirical applications for researching antisemitism and conspiracy theories. Winter term 2023/2024 & Summer term 2024. (With Heiko Beyer)
Advanced undergraduate course: Antisemitism in social movements. Winter term 2022/2023.
Undergraduate course: Right-wing extremism - An introduction to theory and movement. Summer term 2022. (With Lisa Hönes)
Advanced undergraduate course: Qualitative research approaches in comparison. Winter term 2021/2022.
Advanced undergraduate course: Introduction to critical theory. Summer term 2021.
Undergraduate course: Introduction to sociological theory II. Winter term 2020/2021.
Advanced undergraduate course: A sociological analysis of conspiracy theories. Summer term 2020.
Undergraduate course: Introduction to sociological theory II. Summer term 2020.
Undergraduate course: Introduction to sociological theory I. Winter term 2019/2020.
Science communication
Citizens' University lecture: Tracing the paths of Reichsbürger – Pathways to Reichsbürger ideology. 05/15/2025. University of Düsseldorf. (with Jens Helfer-Fleischhauer)
Supervision of student podcast project: Reichsbürger – Ideology, identity, and delusions. (Winter term 2024/2025)
Antisemitism from all sides: Perspectives of those affected regarding the current threats in Germany. Podcast by the Competence Network on Islamist Extremism. 05/11/2023.