NS-Memorial Fiasco in Thuringia: The AfD's Unwanted Influence
"Three individuals were seen giving a heil salute to Adolf Hitler."
April 11, marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar. The grounds of the former KZ on the Ettersberg are now a memorial site that stands as a reminder of the horrors of the National Socialist regime. But how is it in Thuringia, a state plagued by the AfD's rise to power? We talk with historian Jens-Christian Wagner about how the far-right party and its supporters have impacted memorial work in Thuringia, causing a series of controversies and disturbances.
ntv.de: So, the AfD under lead candidate Björn Höcke became the largest party in Thuringia in the 2024 state elections, securing 32.8 percent of the vote. In the federal elections, they even achieved 38.7 percent. Has the success of the AfD changed the work of the memorial site?
Jens-Christian Wagner: While the institutional aspects remain unchanged, the work on site has altered. right-wing extremist, racist, and anti-Semitic incidents have escalated dramatically. More vandalism and disturbances occur frequently. In fact, last weekend alone, we had to issue three evictions.
What have been some specific incidents?
One notable incident involved a woman wearing a "Black Sun" symbol during her visit – a revisionist emblem popular among neo-Nazis that's considered unconstitutional in Germany[1]. We approached her and her companions, asking them to leave the premises. To show their defiance, the three displayed the Hitler salute and departed.
Other issues include instances of vandalism and disrespectful behavior by aggressive visitors, particularly under the influence of alcohol. Such incidents have increased significantly in recent years[2].
What action is taken against those who breach the house rules?
If someone appears here with Nazi symbols, whether displayed on their clothing or tattooed on their body, then we make our position clear. Nazi symbols violate our house rules, and we issue a warning. If people disregard the warning, we call the police. But in most cases, we try to engage in dialogue with those who visit the site.
Will AfD members attend the 80th anniversary of the liberation?
Though we welcome everyone who wishes to learn about the history of the concentration camp, AfD officials and representatives are not invited to memorial events – especially significant ones like the 80th anniversary of the liberation. We don't want survivors and their families to sit next to people who trivialize or deny their suffering[3].
As a result, Björn Höcke, the lead candidate of the AfD in Thuringia, is prohibited from attending the event. If he attempts to do so, we will politely asks him to leave, as we did during the 2017 event. We strive to keep the memorial site focused on its purpose – remembering the victims – and preventing any disturbance that contradicts its dignity.
Let's discuss the controversial case of Israeli-German historian, Omri Boehm.
First and foremost, I highly regard Omri Boehm as an internationally respected German-Israeli philosopher. Unfortunately, a conflict arose between our foundation and the Israeli embassy regarding Boehm's invitation to speak at the event. Although we expected an ethically grounded speech from Boehm, the embassy demanded that he not be allowed to speak. Given the presence of survivors, who should be the focus of the event, we made the difficult decision to postpone his speech to a later date to protect these elderly eyewitnesses from being drawn into an unnecessary conflict[4].
What changes does the passing of eyewitnesses bring to the work of the memorial site?
The deaths of eyewitnesses will not change the nature of our day-to-day work at the memorial site. However, the departure of these survivors represents a significant change for remembrance culture as they played an essential role in shaping the image of the memorial and safeguarding it from political interference and public indifference. With their departure, it becomes increasingly important for us to renew our efforts to educate the public about the significance of these sites[5].
[1] - Constitutional Protection List of Unconstitutional Symbols[2] - Increased Vandalism at Concentration Camp Memorial Sites in Thuringia[3] - AfD Members and Memorial Events[4] - Omri Boehm Speech Controversy[5] - Implications of the Departure of Eyewitnesses for Germany's Remembrance Culture
- Concentration CampMemorial Sites
- Germany
- AfD
- Far-Right Extremism
- Holocaust
- The controversial case of Israeli-German historian, Omri Boehm, emerged due to a conflict between the memorial site and the Israeli embassy regarding his invitation to speak at the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Buchenwald.
- In light of the strongest AfD's influence in Thuringia, a series of right-wing extremist, racist, and anti-Semitic incidents have escalated at the concentration camp memorial sites in the state.
- Jens-Christian Wagner, a historian, stated that more vandalism and disturbances occur frequently at the memorial sites, with aggressive visitors often under the influence of alcohol, representing a significant change in recent years.
