Auschwitz Survivor Voices Alarm as Far-Right AfD Secures Historic Victory in German State

Eva Umlauf, an Auschwitz survivor and current president of the International Auschwitz Committee, has expressed deep dismay following the Alternative for Germany’s recent election victory in Saxony-Anhalt. The triumph has placed a far-right political party on the threshold of governing a German state for the first time since the end of the Second World War, triggering widespread concern among survivors and minority communities.

Umlauf was just two years old when she and her mother were liberated from the Auschwitz death camp by Allied forces in January 1945. Now a practicing pediatrician and psychotherapist based in Munich, the Slovakian-born survivor frequently tours educational institutions to instruct younger generations about the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Speaking in the wake of the preliminary election results, Umlauf conveyed profound sorrow over the political development. She remarked that while the outcome had been anticipated based on prior momentum, the reality of the far-right securing such a decisive mandate remains deeply unsettling, leaving her questioning the motives that propel citizens to support the party.

The survivor’s remarks echo a broader wave of anxiety gripping minority populations across the country. Umlauf underscored the profound unease felt by these communities, noting that historical precedent provides a chilling reminder of the dangers that arise for minority demographics and foreign residents when extremist ideologies gain institutional leverage.

The political victory in Saxony-Anhalt unfolds ahead of a critical series of regional ballots. Minorities and political observers have watched with mounting distress as opinion polling indicated steady far-right momentum, which will be tested again as voters in Berlin and the eastern state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania prepare to cast their ballots on September 20.

The Alternative for Germany, widely known as the AfD, was originally established in 2013 during the height of the eurozone crisis as an anti-establishment, eurosceptic movement. Since its inception, the party has evolved its platform to demand stringent curbs on immigration, specifically targeting populations it classifies as culturally alien to German society.

In addition to its immigration stance, the party’s platform calls for Germany to exit the euro currency bloc and advocates for the restoration of diplomatic and economic relations with Russia to help reduce domestic energy costs. The AfD consistently maintains that its positions represent practical, common-sense perspectives held by millions of German citizens.

Party leadership has adamantly rejected any direct comparisons to the National Socialist regime, which orchestrated the systematic murder of six million Jews alongside Roma, Sinti, homosexuals, and other targeted groups during the Holocaust. The AfD formally denies harboring antisemitic views and contends that mainstream political rivals employ accusations of extremism to suppress legitimate political competition.

Nevertheless, political adversaries and civil society organizations argue that the AfD routinely minimizes the severity of Nazi-era crimes. Critics frequently reference past remarks by senior party figures, such as a 2018 statement that minimized the twelve years of Nazi dictatorship as merely a speck of bird droppings within a millennium of successful German history.

Institutional watchdogs and community organizations have voiced similar concerns regarding the party's ideological trajectory. The Central Council of Jews in Germany, which serves as the premier representative body for the nation's Jewish population, has openly designated the AfD as an organization that provides a welcoming platform for antisemitic elements and far-right extremists.

These concerns are corroborated by official state oversight. The regional branch of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt has been formally categorized as a confirmed right-wing extremist entity by the domestic intelligence service, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution. The party has dismissed this security designation as an entirely partisan maneuver orchestrated by political opponents.

The election in Saxony-Anhalt unfolded against a broader backdrop of heightened apprehension across Europe’s Jewish communities. Antagonism and antisemitic incidents have experienced a significant surge across the continent following the October 7, 2023 attacks by Hamas against Israel and the subsequent military campaign carried out in the Gaza Strip.

While far-left factions and their adherents have also faced accusations of encouraging antisemitic attitudes in the public sphere, the AfD has attracted intense scrutiny as its electoral fortunes and polling numbers have steadily expanded nationwide.

Alarm has been further amplified by the AfD's regional campaign manifesto, which outlines a so-called patriotic cultural policy. This agenda seeks to reorient academic curricula away from the crimes of the Nazi era, shifting historical focus toward earlier national figures like the 19th-century "Iron Chancellor" Otto von Bismarck, while also restoring public military memorials dedicated to German soldiers from both world wars.

Opponents and historians view such policy proposals as a deliberate effort to dismantle Germany’s comprehensive, decades-long process of confronting its past and acknowledging the atrocities committed under Nazi rule.

Despite her anguish over the regional outcome, Umlauf emphasized that the far-right’s platform does not reflect the sentiments of the German public as a whole. Pointing to figures indicating that nationwide AfD support averages around 30 percent, she expressed steadfast hope that the recent election results will serve as an urgent catalyst to awaken and mobilize the remaining 70 percent of the electorate to defend democratic values.