Buchenwald leader warns against ‘Nazi-glorifying’ AfD vote hacker

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  Chiem Balduk

  journalist from Germany

Hundreds of thousands of people over 65 in Thuringia received a letter this week about the state elections on September 1:

“There is a lot at stake in our country these days. With the AfD we have a party that wants to erase from our memory the suffering under Nazism in the Buchenwald concentration camp. (…) ‘Nie wieder’ is now more important than ever. Go vote and choose a democratic party.”

The sender is the director of the Buchenwald memorial, Jens-Christian Wagner. He is very concerned about the success of the radical and extreme right in Germany. In the eastern German state of Thuringia, where Buchenwald is located, the AfD is leading in opinion polls with 30 percent. The security service has designated the Thuringian AfD as a right-wing extremist.

The former concentration camp leader says that putting Nazism into perspective is part of the party’s “ideological heart”. He points to reports that the Holocaust memorial in Berlin is a “shame“named and the American liberators”even amoreel” as the SS. “In doing this you disturb the Holocaust and turn the question of guilt around.”

“In addition, there are very positive statements, especially from the AfD Thuringia,” Wagner continues. He points out that Thuringian AfD leader Björn Höcke he was convicted twice for using the banned Nazi slogan ‘Alles für Deutschland’. The slogan ‘Alles für Thuringia’ is on the current election manifesto. “That is a conscious and glorious Nazi choice.” And on page 2 are words by Franz Langheinrich. “Not many will know him, but he was an anti-Semite and anti-Hitler.”

During World War II, the Nazis imprisoned around 277,000 people in the Buchenwald concentration camp, of which around 56,000 died, including hundreds of Dutch people. After the liberation of America, the residents of neighboring Weimar were expelled visit the camp. The phrase “We didn’t know” as a result of their answer: they had not noticed, they said.

Therefore, the director of the Wagner museum believes that it is his duty to warn against the radical right and to trivialize the Holocaust. It has made him one of the most important voices against the AfD. Due to threats: since the letter was circulated, he has received more hate mail and death threats.

Wagner fears that his monument will survive if the AfD wins the election, as the party could then intervene in his governance. “It’s not that easy to fire them, but there is a real risk that our funding will be reduced to the point where we can no longer do our work.”

A little later, at the AfD meeting in Neustadt an der Orla, Wagner’s warnings have no effect on them. At the so-called AfD Summerfest, beer, barbecue and music alternate with speeches from AfD leaders about the dangers of African immigration, alleged masturbation rooms in kindergartens and corrupt journalists.

Ringo Mühlmann, the AfD candidate in Thuringia, believes that Wagner is abusing his position to oppose the AfD. “He may have his opinion, but he is illegally entering the election battle. I believe that an investigation should be conducted to see if he abused his position.”

Mühlmann says opposition to his party is “normal in a democracy”. “But the established parties are looking for everything that will harm us. They try to portray us as terrorists and persona non grata.” According to Mühlmann, the security service, which sees the Thuringian AfD as a terrorist, is also not independent.

Thuringian AfD leader Höcke believes that Germany needs “normal patriotism”, he said after his speech. “Germany has been a pariah in world history for 80 years. We will lose our country if people cannot connect with it and if Germany has no foundation.” That’s why Höcke wants to get rid of what he calls the “blame culture”.

A plea for the Germans memory culture »A “180 degree turn” can count on a lot of support among AfD voters majority AfD voters believe it is time to draw a line under Nazi history. Among the voters for other parties, a large majority reject this.

“Germany is not the only one who has committed war crimes,” said a visitor to the AfD summer party. “Dresden was bombed and there is nothing to say about it!” A woman joins her. what always bothers me is that it is said that Germany started two world wars, but that was not what happened in the First World War!”

Back to Buchenwald, where director Jens-Christian Wagner sighs when he sees the latest polls. “Sometimes we are desperate and frustrated that, despite our efforts and warnings, 30 percent of Thuringians still want to vote for the AfD. But it could have been more more if we hadn’t done anything.”