Challenging the Status Quo: AfD on 8th May as a World War II Remembrance Holiday
Curtailing the Commemoration: 8th May Should Avoid Holiday Designation (According to AfD) - "AFD Proposes Abolishing May 8 as a National Holiday"
Saxony's AfD party and their leader Jörg Urban have voiced concerns about celebrating the 8th of May as a holiday. Urban, speaking in Dresden, deemed it as a day of unconditional surrender. He highlighted the grim reality that followed, with millions of people ending up in Allied captivity, forced to labor, and a third of those laborers perishing. Adding to the horror, hundreds of thousands of women were victims of rape.
Breaking the War Narrative
According to Urban, the 8th of May is a day of remembrance in certain federal states, including Saxony, and a public holiday in Berlin. He suggests that all victims should be remembered, advocating for an end to the war rhetoric, saying, "Never again war! That's the lesson we must take from the brutal Second World War."
Many people experienced the 8th of May 1945 as liberation, especially those who suffered under National Socialism, including anti-regime opponents, political prisoners, and those released from concentration camps. Urban underscored the barbaric and inhumane nature of the Hitler regime responsible for countless deaths.
Remembering All Victims
Urban also stated that the effects of the war extended to millions of Germans affected by flight and expulsion. He expressed the view that all this suffering must be remembered today, and all victims should be mourned without exception. He asserted that Germany's true liberation occurred on the 9th of November 1989.
Though the AfD's stance on celebrating the 8th of May as a World War II Remembrance holiday isn't explicitly detailed, they are known for adhering to historical revisionism and downplaying the significance of Germany's past. It is reasonable to infer that they might oppose commemorations that exaggerate Germany's role in the war. Instead, they might propose alternative narratives that take a different perspective.
- AfD
- Holiday
- World War II Remembrance
- Jörg Urban
- Dresden
- Berlin
- Second World War
- Europe
- Women
[1] For more information about the AfD's stance on historical issues, visit this link.
- AfD leader Jörg Urban, speaking in Dresden, has expressed opposition to celebrating the 8th of May as a World War II Remembrance holiday.
- Urban suggests that all victims of the war should be remembered and proposes an end to the war rhetoric, saying, "Never again war!"
- Despite the AfD not explicitly outlining their stance on commemorating the 8th of May, their adherence to historical revisionism and downplaying of Germany's past suggests they might oppose exaggerated depictions of Germany's role in the war.
- Urban's stance on the 8th of May as a holiday is influenced by the grim reality of those in Allied captivity, forced labor, and the rape of hundreds of thousands of women during that time.
