Holocaust Survivor Expresses Shock Over Far-Right Surge in Germany

Eva Umlauf, who was two years old when liberated from Auschwitz in January 1945, has voiced deep distress over the resurgence of the far-right in Germany, more than 80 years after the fall of the Nazis. The recent success of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the state of Saxony-Anhalt marks a significant moment, placing a far-right party closer to governing a German state than at any point since World War II.

"What can I say? I expected it, and yet I am shocked," Umlauf stated in an interview with Reuters. "I am shocked, I am sad; I don't know what makes people vote for this party." Umlauf, a pediatrician and psychotherapist living in Munich, actively educates children about the Holocaust and serves as president of the International Auschwitz Committee.

Her concerns echo those of many minority groups who have expressed fear amid rising support for the far-right, particularly in eastern German states like Saxony-Anhalt, Berlin, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where elections are scheduled. "We are afraid. We know what happens, what happens to minorities, what happens to foreigners," the Holocaust survivor added.

The AfD, founded in 2013, rejects comparisons to the Nazi party, responsible for the Holocaust, and asserts its policies are based on common sense, denying accusations of antisemitism. The party advocates for stricter immigration controls, particularly from countries deemed "culturally alien," withdrawal from the Eurozone, and improved relations with Russia for energy cost reduction.

Critics, however, accuse the AfD of downplaying Germany's Nazi past, citing statements from party leaders that minimize the era's significance. The Central Council of Jews in Germany views the AfD as a party that has become a haven for antisemites and far-right extremists. The AfD's Saxony-Anhalt branch is officially classified as a far-right extremist organization by the state's domestic intelligence agency, a designation the party disputes.

The AfD's electoral gains come amidst heightened anxiety for many European Jews, following a sharp increase in antisemitic incidents since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza. The party's platform includes a "patriotic cultural policy" that would shift historical education away from the Nazi era towards figures like 19th-century Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, and calls for restoring monuments to German soldiers from both World Wars. Critics argue this reflects a desire to forget Germany's reckoning with its Nazi past.

Despite the party's growing support, which hovers around 30% nationally according to polls, Umlauf expressed hope that the remaining 70% of the German population would be motivated to act against it.