The NPD is the longest-existing party among the far-right parties in Germany. What has led to its survival through various crises and, more recently, to an increase in support? The study provides a comprehensive picture of the NPD from its founding to the late 1990s, thereby filling a long-standing gap in research. Based on a wide range of sources, it not only addresses the early period when the NPD managed to enter seven state parliaments and nearly the Bundestag in 1969, but also the following decades. In particular, new insights into internal party power structures and decision-making processes are gained. Another focus is on the NPD's electoral participation.