World War II Remembrance: A Disputed Holiday in Germany 🇩🇪
Nazi-supporting political party, AfD, advocates against commemorating May 8th as a holiday, deeming it unnecessary and potentially divisive. - Day Proposed for Abstention from Regular Activities: May 8 (AfD Proposal)
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, as led by Joerg Urban in Saxony, questions the celebration of the 8th of May as a holiday, labeling it as a day of unconditional surrender. In Dresden, Urban highlighted the hardships following this historical event: millions locked in Allied captivity, millions of forced laborers, many of whom perished, and hundreds of thousands of women brutally raped.
Ditching War Speeches
The 8th of May serves as a day of remembrance in certain federal states -- Saxony included -- and a legal holiday in Berlin. Nonetheless, Urban advocates for refraining from war speeches. "Never again war!" Urban exclaims, a stark reminder etched in our minds as a result of the unimaginable horror of WWII.
Many have hailed the 8th of May 1945 as a symbol of liberation from the despotic National Socialist regime, a time pronounced by the likes of Urban. This regime, responsible for unspeakable atrocities, claimed countless lives.
Remembering All War Victims Equally
Urban believes that all victims of war should be commemorated, and that the focus should remain on the importance of peace. It's the AfD's view that no specific day can encapsulate the intricate history that surrounds the 8th May.
"Approximately 12 to 14 million Germans suffered the devastating impact of displacement during the war. Let's honor these sacrifices today and grieve all victims without exception," emphasizes Urban. He also points out that the true liberation of the German people came on the 9th of November 1989.
- Alternative for Germany (AfD)
- 8th of May Holiday
- Joerg Urban
- Dresden
- Berlin
- WWII Remembrance
- Political Persecution
- "Never again war!"
- Concentration Camp Liberation
- Germany's Liberation
Sources: [2][4]
Interesting fact: The AfD's stance against celebrating the 8th of May as a holiday is rooted in the party's broader belief that the complex history associated with this date cannot be adequately addressed through a single day of commemoration.
- In Saxony, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, led by Joerg Urban, argues against celebrating the 8th of May as a holiday, viewing it as a day of unconditional surrender.
- Urban, in Dresden, advocates for avoiding war speeches on the 8th of May, instead emphasizing the importance of peace and remembering all victims of war equally.
- The AfD believes that the 8th of May, as a symbol of liberation, should focus on the impact of the war on Germans, with an estimated 12 to 14 million who suffered displacement during the conflict.
- Joerg Urban underscores the significance of the 9th of November 1989 as the true liberation of the German people, a day that also deserves commemoration.
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