Concerns are being raised regarding the appropriation of significant historical sites in Germany by right-wing political groups, particularly the Alternative for Germany (AfD). State Minister for Culture and Media, Wolfram Weimer, has cautioned against allowing these groups to dominate narratives and claim ownership of places crucial to German identity and democratic heritage.
Weimer specifically addressed the situation surrounding the Hambacher Schloss in Rhineland-Palatinate, noting the AfD’s increasing presence and attempts to portray the location as belonging to them. He emphasized the Schloss’s significance as a space for democratic expression and stressed the need for the broader community to actively engage with and utilize these spaces.
The Minister also highlighted similar concerns at the Hermannsdenkmal monument in the Teutoburg Forest. He warned that the AfD is actively attempting to claim the monument for its own purposes, portraying the Cherusker chieftain Arminius – to whom the monument is dedicated – as a national hero. Weimer suggested alternative interpretations of Arminius, drawing parallels to the folk hero Robin Hood and cautioned that inaction could result in the monument being lost to an exclusive nationalist narrative.
The warnings stem from repeated demonstrations and political actions by the AfD around the Hermannsdenkmal, most recently exemplified by the party’s use of an image of the monument in recent campaign advertising featuring the slogan “I would vote for the AfD”. The state minister underscored the importance of actively countering these attempts to monopolize historical narratives and preserving these sites for the broader German society.