The municipal elections in Nordhausen, Germany, attracted strong interest, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party vied to win the mayoralty of this mid-sized town in Thuringia. However, the results showed that AfD candidate Jörg Prophet was edged out by incumbent Mayor Kai Buchmann, effectively ending the far-right party’s hopes.
This election took on symbolic importance in a context of the AfD’s growing power in the polls and fears concerning a questioning of the work of memory carried out by Germany since the Second World War. Nordhausen is notably located near the Nazi concentration camp Mittelbau-Dora, where thousands of deportees were forced to work manufacturing V2 rockets for the German army.
Kai Buchmann’s victory is therefore seen as a relief for many actors involved in the preservation of historical memory, who considered that the election of an AfD mayor would have been a disaster. Indeed, the far-right party is often criticized for its revisionist positions and its discourse calling into question the work of memory and the country’s memory policy.
This election confirms the rise of far-right beliefs in Germany, as revealed by a recent study which shows that 8% of respondents support these ideas, compared to only 2 to 3% in previous studies. The AfD also looms large in national polls, placing second behind the conservatives and ahead of the Social Democratic Party.
However, these results should not be taken lightly. Municipal elections are not always representative of national trends, and the next regional elections in 2024 will be an opportunity to verify the true influence of the AfD. In the meantime, the preservation of historical memory and the fight against revisionist ideas remain major issues in Germany, and it is essential to continue to promote and defend them.