Criticises "de-facto" AfD: Wulff's Direct Denunciation
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Echoes from Buchenwald: Wulff Slams "Trivializers" of AfD
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Eight decades ago, the concentration camps Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora were set free. At the commemoration, ex-President Wulff fires back at the AfD. He calls for resistance and a clear distinction from today's right-wing extremist and revisionist forces.
Former President Christian Wulff, in his speech, didn't pull any punches when it came to the AfD, often seen as a right-wing extremist party. "The AfD ideology's minimizers overlook the fact that it lays the groundwork for people in Germany to feel uneasy and are actually directly threatened," Wulff declared. Those who thought the AfD could be swayed via integration were plain wrong, according to Wulff, who added, "Anyone who doesn't clearly distance themselves becomes complicit in the oath of Buchenwald."
In his speech, Wulff drew a line from National Socialism to today. "The brutalization and radicalization, along with a global shift to the right, make it easier for me now to envision how that could have transpired," said Wulff, as he looked upon the Nazi terror and its development. He urged active participation in democracy and the preservation of humanity. Looking back on the NS era, he said, "We bear an unchanging, ongoing, eternal responsibility, for evil must never triumph again." He called for resistance against today's right-wing extremist and revisionist forces.
Several hundred attendees, including survivors, commemorated the liberation of Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora 80 years ago, together at the memorial event in Weimar, Thuringia, near Buchenwald. Music and texts that were secretly created by inmates were also presented. Mittelbau-Dora was a subcamp of Buchenwald. Inmates were forced to dig underground tunnels for armaments production under harsh conditions between 1943 and 1945 and to assemble Hitler's so-called wonder weapon V2 there.
Thuringia's Minister-President Mario Voigt labeled Buchenwald as "a place of systematic dehumanization." The legacy of the survivors is also the responsibility of staying vigilant, especially "in a time when anti-Semitism, nationalist ideology, and authoritarian thinking are louder and more widespread." In Buchenwald, "destruction through work, through hunger, through calculated cruelty" took place. "This inhumanity is what still leaves us speechless today. That's why joint remembrance is crucial," said the CDU politician.
Wulff also spoke about the controversy surrounding the planned speech by German-Israeli philosopher Omri Boehm, which was initially intended for the memorial but then postponed. "I view him as a proponent of universal human dignity with the aim of justice, understanding, and reconciliation," Wulff said. He and Boehm understand "the sensitivity in the face of the unimaginable suffering of Israeli hostages still held captive by the terrorist organization Hamas." Before, Wulff had thanked Israel for being willing to extend their hand to the Germans following the NS crimes.
The foundation managing the Buchenwald memorial had initially planned Boehm's speech for the event program but then postponed it and invited him for another date. The background was a sharp rejection from the Israeli embassy against Boehm - the grandson of a Holocaust survivor has publicly criticized aspects of the culture of remembrance, the Israeli memorial site Yad Vashem, and Israeli politics.
Foundation director Jens-Christian Wagner explained the reason for the postponement of Boehm's speech: he wanted to spare the survivors from being pulled further into the debate surrounding the speech. The survivors should be the focus, not the debate about the speech.
The Nazis had deported roughly 280,000 people to the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar and its 139 satellite camps since the summer of 1937. Around 56,000 people were murdered or died of starvation, diseases, forced labor, or medical experiments. On April 11, 1945, U.S. troops reached the camp.
People:* Christian Wulff* AfD (Alternative for Germany)* National Socialism
Places:* Buchenwald concentration camp* Thuringia, Weimar* Israel
Ideologies:* Right-wing extremism* Revisionism* Anti-Semitism* Nationalism* Authoritarian thinking
Historical Context:The Buchenwald concentration camp, established in 1937, was one of the most infamous facilities of the Nazi regime, where over 280,000 inmates suffered and over 56,000 died due to starvation, disease, forced labor, and medical experiments before its liberation on April 11, 1945. The site holds powerful symbolism of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust, which led to the genocide of approximately six million Jews and millions of others targeted by the Nazis (1, 2, 4).
Wulff's remarks come in the context of a rise in nationalism and xenophobia across Europe, addressing historical concerns about how societies can fall into hatred and violence. He noted the similarities between the current global trend of radicalization and the normalization of far-right ideologies and the conditions that led to the rise of the Nazis (2, 3). His speech offers a sobering reminder of the responsibility to safeguard democracy and human rights, which are under threat in modern politics.
The implications of Wulff's criticism of the AfD are significant in the current political landscape of Germany. The party, known for its anti-immigration rhetoric, has gained traction and, in recent elections, came in second place. Wulff's message was clear: by overlooking or downplaying the threat posed by such ideologies, society risks fostering an environment where individuals feel scared and marginalized (1, 2, 3, 4). He urged Germans to actively engage in democratic processes and resist any form of extremism that may threaten the social fabric. Wulff's call for vigilance and civic engagement echoes the broader conversation about the fragility of democracy in the face of rising populism and radical ideologies, highlighting the need to remember past atrocities to prevent their recurrence in the future.
Sources: ntv.de, gut/dpa/AFP
(*References for "Historical Context" section can be found in the original article.)
- The ex-president, Christian Wulff, condemned the trivializers of the AfD who consciously disregard the threat that the party's ideology poses to Germany's vulnerable populations.
- Wulff, comparing Nazi ideology to modern right-wing extremist and revisionist forces, pointed out that similar conditions normalizing far-right ideologies existed before World War II, drawing attention to the historical implications of today's global radicalization.
- Wulff, warning against complacency, emphasized that the unimaginable suffering of the Holocaust victims not only demands sensitivity but also deference from those debating universal human dignity and justice, urging responsibility in ensuring the preservation of humanity.
