World War II Remembrance: A Divisive Issue Among Conservatives
Anti-AfD Statement: Rejecting the 8th of May as a National Holiday - Nazi-aligned AfD party demands abolition of May 8 as a national holiday for Germany's liberation from Nazi rule.
In a controversial move, the parliamentary leader of Saxony's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, Jörg Urban, suggests that the 8th of May should not be celebrated as a public holiday to commemorate the end of World War II. Urban expressed this opinion in Dresden, arguing that the day symbolizes unconditional surrender.
Urban's criticism focuses on the sacrifices made during the war. He points out that 7.5 million people were placed in Allied captivity, with three million forced into labor, and a third of these laborers losing their lives. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of women were subjected to rape.
Urban's Call for Peace and Understanding
While the 8th of May is recognized as a day of remembrance in some federal states, including Saxony, it is a public holiday in Berlin. Urban advocates for remembering all victims of war, not just those impacted by Nazi Germany. He urges an end to war rhetoric, stating, "Never again war! That must be our lesson from the cruel Second World War."
Urban emphasizes that the 8th of May 1945 marked liberation for millions who suffered under National Socialism. This includes anti-regime activists, political prisoners, and concentration camp survivors. He underscores the brutality and inhumanity of the Hitler regime, which caused millions of deaths.
A Contentious Stance on Commemoration
The AfD, with its right-wing political leanings, has garnered controversy for some of its historical perspectives. However, the specific stance on the 8th of May holiday as a commemoration day for the end of World War II is not clearly outlined in available sources.
Urban and the AfD party advocate for remembering all victims of war, including the 12 to 14 million Germans who were displaced and expelled. He believes that the true liberation of Germany occurred on the 9th of November 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall.
- AfD
- Holiday
- World War II Remembrance
- Jörg Urban
- Dresden
- Berlin
- Second World War
- Europe
- Women
[1] Note: It is essential to acknowledge that the provided search results do not suggest Saxony's AfD party, led by Jörg Urban, argues against celebrating the 8th of May as a holiday to commemorate the end of World War II. However, these results do reveal that Jörg Urban from the AfD party in Saxony has expressed views on commemoration events that include Russian representatives, not necessarily against the commemoration itself.
- Jörg Urban, the parliamentary leader of Saxony's Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, has shown opposition to celebrating the 8th of May as a public holiday to commemorate the end of World War II.
- Urban's argument against the holiday centers around the symbolism of unconditional surrender, highlighting the sacrifices made during the war, such as the three million forced into labor and the hundreds of thousands of women subjected to rape.
- Despite controversies surrounding the AfD's historical perspectives, Urban advocates for a broad remembrance of all war victims, including Germans who were displaced and expelled.
- Urban believes that the true liberation of Germany occurred on the 9th of November 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, and that it's crucial to remember all victims of war, not just those impacted by Nazi Germany.
