Fighting a Foundational Past: How Holocaust Denial Narratives Are Disseminated in Dutch Digital Far-Right Spaces.

Abstract

This study investigates how Holocaust denial narratives are articulated, disseminated, and normalized within Dutch farright digital ecosystems, with particular attention to 'gateway communities', online spaces that, while not explicitly extremist, serve as entry points to radicalization. Employing a multi-method approach that combines netnography, thematic coding, and discourse analysis, the research examines denialist discourse across three major platforms: X, 4Chan, and Telegram. Findings suggest that, unlike its pre-digital origins, denial is now most prominently spread not by ultranationalist extremists, but by conspiracy theorists aligned with nominally democratic radical-right movements. Such communities not only generate more engagement but are also seemingly less restrained in their denial, with extremist groups generally opting for more covert tactics such as honoring prominent deniers and speaking in coded language. These conspiracists seemingly use denial not as a coherent ideological strategy, but as part of a broader repertoire of anti-establishment expression. Furthermore, other users were observed who seemingly had no intent of persuading others, leading to the conclusion that for such users, dubbed ‘trolls’, denial is employed due to its taboo nature as a method of upsetting others. Therefore, the study suggests that denial functions both as a counter-hegemonic discourse, undermining the moral authority of liberal memory regimes, and as a ritualized in-group signal that reinforces identity and belonging within fragmented digital echo chambers. Although some strategic use of denial persists, its efficacy as a recruitment tool appears limited. Instead, its circulation reflects deeper dynamics of institutional distrust, political alienation, and epistemic disorientation. This challenges the dominant assumption, prominent in educational and political responses to Holocaust denial, that such narratives can be effectively countered through historical correction or fact-checking alone. This study therefore contributes to a more nuanced understanding of Holocaust denial in the digital age by foregrounding its entanglement with broader socio-political grievances and post-truth dynamics. It argues that countering denial requires more than narrative debunking; rather, it demands attention to the underlying structures of distrust and disaffection that make denial meaningful to its adherents. This insight has implications not only for Holocaust education but also radicalization and democratic backsliding more broadly.