Auschwitz Survivor Voices Alarm as Far-Right AfD Gains Ground in German State Election

A prominent Holocaust survivor has expressed deep distress and dismay following the recent electoral triumph of the far-right Alternative for Germany in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt. The political victory has brought a far-right political force closer to holding state-level governing power in Germany than at any point since the conclusion of the Second World War.

Eva Umlauf, who was liberated from the Auschwitz concentration camp as a two-year-old child alongside her mother in January 1945, warned that the resurgence of far-right politics in modern Germany represents a deeply troubling historical echo. Now a practicing psychotherapist and pediatrician based in Munich, Umlauf also serves as the president of the International Auschwitz Committee and frequently visits schools to teach younger generations about the atrocities of the Holocaust.

The outcome of the regional vote in Saxony-Anhalt has ignited intense discussion across the country, marking an unprecedented milestone for the Alternative for Germany, known as the AfD. The party's strong performance has placed it in a position where it could potentially influence or participate in state leadership, breaking long-standing post-war political norms.

Speaking about the election outcome, Umlauf stated that while the results were not entirely unexpected given recent political trajectories, the reality of the victory remains shocking and painful. She noted that she felt profound sorrow and struggled to understand the underlying motivations driving citizens to cast their ballots for the controversial party.

Umlauf emphasized that the political ascent of the far right triggers severe concern among vulnerable groups who fear the societal consequences of such rhetoric. Drawing on historical lessons, she noted that minority populations and foreign nationals are invariably the first to suffer when extremist political movements gather strength.

The unease expressed by community leaders and minority advocates is not confined to Saxony-Anhalt alone. Public sentiment has grown increasingly tense as recent polling highlighted broader momentum for the AfD ahead of additional upcoming regional elections, including imminent ballots scheduled in Berlin and the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The AfD was originally established in 2013 as a eurosceptic movement during the height of the euro zone debt crisis. Over the ensuing years, the organization broadened its platform, adopting hardline positions focused on drastically curbing immigration, targeting migrants from nations it categorizes as culturally incompatible with German traditions, advocating an exit from the shared euro currency, and urging the restoration of diplomatic and economic relations with Russia to reduce energy expenses.

In response to widespread criticism, the AfD has consistently rejected comparisons between its ideology and that of the Nazi regime, which orchestrated the mass murder of six million European Jews, Roma and Sinti people, LGBTQ+ individuals, and numerous other targeted groups. The party insists its policy platform represents pragmatic, common-sense perspectives supported by millions of ordinary German citizens, while dismissing accusations of antisemitism as deliberate smears manufactured by mainstream parties to suppress political opposition.

Despite these denials, the AfD has repeatedly faced accusations from critics who argue that several party leaders have sought to diminish or rewrite the severity of Germany’s totalitarian past. Public outrage previously erupted when a leading figure within the party publicly characterized the twelve years of Nazi dictatorship as merely a minor blemish across a thousand years of successful German history.

Concerns regarding the party's ideological direction have also been voiced by prominent civic and religious institutions. The Central Council of Jews in Germany, which serves as the principal representative body for the nation's Jewish population, has openly designated the AfD as an organization that provides a welcoming platform for antisemitic figures and right-wing extremists.

Legal and security authorities have likewise placed parts of the party under formal scrutiny. The domestic intelligence service in Saxony-Anhalt, operating under the state Office for the Protection of the Constitution, officially classified the regional AfD branch as an extremist right-wing entity, a characterization that party leadership continues to reject as an act of political bias.

The political development unfolds during an era marked by heightened anxiety for Jewish communities across Europe. The continent has witnessed a significant rise in antisemitic incidents following the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israel and the subsequent military conflict in the Gaza Strip, bringing intense scrutiny to both far-left and far-right factions within European politics.

The AfD’s published campaign agenda for the state election has further exacerbated tensions, proposing a patriotic cultural policy intended to redirect school curricula away from an extensive examination of Nazi-era history. The party advocates focusing educational efforts on earlier historical milestones, highlighting figures such as the 19th-century statesman Otto von Bismarck, while simultaneously calling for the refurbishment of public military memorials dedicated to fallen German soldiers from both world wars.

Educational experts and civil society groups argue that such initiatives threaten to undermine the extensive, decades-long national commitment Germany has undertaken to confront its past crimes and preserve historical memory. They caution that shifting focus away from Holocaust education risks erasing crucial safeguards against future extremism.

Despite her profound concerns regarding the election results, Umlauf maintained that the far right does not represent the broader majority of the German population. Pointing out that overall nationwide backing for the AfD is estimated at roughly 30 percent, she expressed steadfast hope that the victory in Saxony-Anhalt would serve as a critical wake-up call, ultimately mobilizing the remaining 70 percent of citizens to actively defend democratic values.