Criticizing the 8th of May Holiday: A Controversial Stance by Saxony's AfD
Celebrating the 8th of May as a holiday is not deemed appropriate by the AfD party. - Day Eight of May Not Regarded as a National Holiday, Suggests AfD
Jörg Urban, leader of the AfD party in Saxony, has spoken out against celebrating the 8th of May as a holiday for World War II Remembrance. He made this statement in Dresden, where he argued that it was also a day of unconditional surrender. Urban cited the plight of the 7.5 million people who ended up in allied captivity, with three million being forced into labor, a third of whom perished. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of women were raped.
Challenging the Status Quo
In several federal states, the 8th of May is commemorated as a day of remembrance, including in Saxony and Berlin where it is a public holiday. However, Urban advocates for a broader approach to reflection, honoring all victims. He also urged an end to war rhetoric, stating, "Never again war! That must be our lesson from the brutal Second World War."
Urban acknowledged the liberation experienced by those who suffered under the Nazi regime but emphasized the brutal nature of the Hitler regime, responsible for millions of deaths. He pointed out that the true liberation for Germany came on the 9th of November 1989.
Remembering All Victims
The AfD desires recognition of all war victims. Urban estimates that 12 to 14 million Germans were affected by flight and expulsion, and their suffering should be acknowledged today. He suggested that it is essential to mourn all victims without exception.
- AfD
- Holiday
- World War II Remembrance
- Jörg Urban
- Dresden
- Berlin
- Second World War
- Europe
- Women
Insights on the AfD's Stance
The AfD, under the leadership of Jörg Urban, challenges the mainstream commemorative narrative that frames the 8th of May as a celebration of the defeat of Nazi Germany and the liberation from fascism. The AfD's political stance often involves far-right perspectives and historical revisionism, which may include downplaying or contesting the established interpretation of Germany's Nazi past and its consequences[2][3].
The AfD proposes alternative forms of commemoration that diverge from the dominant narrative, with specific suggestions yet to be specified in available sources. Their general approach tends to challenge mainstream memory culture associated with Nazi Germany’s defeat and the Holocaust, including skepticism about Germany's postwar guilt culture and an emphasis on a more nationalist version of history that highlights German suffering during and after the war[2][3].
- In contrast to the mainstream commemoration of the 8th of May as a holiday for World War II Remembrance, Jörg Urban, the leader of the AfD party in Saxony, advocates for a broader approach to reflection, calling for remembrance of all war victims.
- Urban, in Dresden, has criticized the 8th of May holiday, citing the plight of the 7.5 million people who ended up in allied captivity during World War II, and thehi perditions.
- The AfD, under Urban's leadership, desires recognition of all war victims, including the 12 to 14 million Germans affected by flight and expulsion, and they believe it is essential to mourn all victims without exception.
- Challenging the status quo, Urban has called for an end to war rhetoric and urged a shift in the commemorative focus from the defeat of Nazi Germany to the remembrance of all victims of war-and-conflicts across Europe.
