Streiterklärungen

Streiterklärungen is a term used in political science and discourse analysis to describe public declarations issued by disputants or participants in a conflict or dispute. The word combines Streiter (fighter, disputant) and Erklärung (declaration, explanation). The genre refers to statements that articulate a group’s aims, justify actions, critique opponents, and seek to mobilize supporters or influence observers.

Usage and contexts: Streiterklärungen appear in a range of settings, including civil protests, constitutional or political crises, armed conflicts, and legal disputes. They may take the form of official communiqués, speeches, manifestos, or press releases. Their central function is to frame the dispute in favorable terms, assign responsibility, and set expectations for followers, opponents, and broader audiences.

Typical features: these declarations are usually in the first person singular or plural, contain explicit claims to rights or duties, and present demands—such as policy changes, concessions, or cessation of actions. They often include moral framing, appeals to legality or legitimacy, threats or promises, and calls to action or solidarity.

Analytical relevance: in discourse analysis and political communication, Streiterklärungen help explain how actors construct legitimacy, shape public opinion, and influence escalation or de-escalation dynamics. They are analyzed for rhetorical strategies, frames, and the construction of in-group and out-group identities.

Relationship to other genres: the concept overlaps with political speeches, propaganda, manifestos, and protest statements, but emphasizes the declarative, self-justifying, and audience-targeted nature of the communication within a dispute.