This attempt to re-frame history on occasion of 8 May is part of a central AfD strategy: to offer an alternative German self-conception that does not deny but relativize the importance of the Holocaust; that demands less reflection on German guilt, instead allowing for patriotism. An interpretation of history that does not see the return of fascism as major danger for modern Germany, but warns against the dominance of what is framed as a socialist-green mainstream. An alternative national self-understanding, thus, that serves as the legitimizing backbone for the AfD’s radical right populist political positions.
Sophie Schmalenberger is a Doctoral Fellow at CARR and doctoral candidate in global studies at Aarhus University.
1 Elisabeth Schuhmacher, “German President Marks ‘Lonely’ World War II 75th anniversary,” Deutsche Welle, May 8, 2020, https://www.dw.com/en/german-president-marks-lonely-world-war-ii-75th-anniversary/a-53368453.
2 Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on the 75th anniversary of the liberation from National Socialism and the end of the Second World War in Europe at the Central Memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Victims of War and Tyranny (Neue Wache), May 8, 2020, https://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Reden/2020/05/200508-75-Jahre-Ende-WKII-Englisch.pdf?__blob=publicationFile.
3 Esther Bajarano, Offener Brief an die Regierenden und alle Menschen, die aus der Geschichte lernen wollen., January 26, 2020, https://www.auschwitz-komitee.de/offener-brief-an-die-regierenden-und-alle-menschen-die-aus-der-geschichte-lernen-wollen/.
4 Jan Sternberg, “Gauland gegen Feiertag am 8. Mai: ‘Es war auch ein Tag der absoluten Niederlage’,” Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, May 8, 2020, https://www.rnd.de/politik/feiertag-am-8-mai-darum-ist-alexander-gauland-afd-dagegen-DGQCKQIZ5RDVJKY27ZASXC27XI.html.
5 “Gauland provoziert mit Aussagen zum 8. Mai,” Jüdische Allgemeine, May 6, 2020, https://www.juedische-allgemeine.de/politik/gauland-provoziert-mit-aussagen-zum-8-mai/.
6 Richard von Weizsäcker, Rede zur Gedenkveranstaltung im Plenarsaal des Deutschen Bundestages zum 40. Jahrestag des Endes des Zweiten Weltkrieges in Europa, May 8, 1985, https://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Reden/DE/Richard-von-Weizsaecker/Reden/1985/05/19850508_Rede.html.
7 Bernhard Forchtner, Lessons from the Past? Memory, Narrativity and Subjectivity (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).
8 Harald Welzer, Sabine Moller and Karoline Tschuggnall, Opa war kein Nazi. Nationalsozialismus und Holocaust im Familiengedächtnis (Frankfurt am Main: Fischer, 2014).
9 Samuel Salzborn, Kollektive Unschuld. Die Abwehr Der Shoah Im Deutschen Erinnern (Leipzig: Hentrich & Hentrich, 2020).
10 Wulf Kansteiner, “Fantasies of Innocence: The Holocaust Bystander as German Television Star,” in Völkermord zur Prime-Time: der Holocaust im Fernsehen, eds. J. Keilbach, B. Rasky and J. Starek (Wien: New Academic Press: 2019), 23-45.
11 Stephan Protschka, “8. Mai: (K)ein Grund zum Feiern?”, YouTube video, 2:50, posted on May 7, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSvqtx5Kh8w&feature=youtu.be.
12 Protschka, “8. Mai”.
13 Stephan Protschka, “8. Mai: (K)ein Grund zum Feiern?,” AfD Kompakt, May 8, 2020, https://afdkompakt.de/2020/05/08/stephan-protschka-8-mai-kein-grund-zum-feiern/
14 Felix Krautkrämer, “Gauland: Der 8. Mai ist kein Freudentag,” Junge Freiheit, May 7, 2020, https://jungefreiheit.de/debatte/interview/2020/gauland-der-8-mai-ist-kein-freudentag/.
15 Krautkrämer, “Gauland”.
16 AfD Fraktion Brandenburg, “Der 8. Mai 1945 war das Ende des zweiten Weltkrieges in #Europa,” Facebook, May 8, 2020, https://www.facebook.com/afdfraktion/photos/a.1482727218676-491/2641414492807752/?type=3&theater.
17 Krautkrämer, “Gauland”.
18 Georg Pazderski, “Bundespräsident #Heuss fand einst bis heute gültige Worte: „Im Grunde genommen bleibt dieser 8.5.1945 die tragischste und fragwürdigste Paradoxie für jeden von uns,” Facebook, May 8, 2020, https://www.facebook.com/Pazderski.Georg/videos/582273155724817.
19 Pazderski, “Bundespräsident”.
20 Pazderski, “Bundespräsident”.
21 Protschka, “8. Mai”.
22 Protschka, “8. Mai”.
23 Sophie Schmalenberger, “‘Long live freedom!’: How the AfD presents itself as Defender of the German Basic Law,” CARR Insight Blog, April 18, 2020, https://www.radicalrightanalysis.com/2020/04/18/long-live-freedom-how-the-afd-presents-itself-as-defender-of-the-german-basic-law/.
24 AfD Bayern (@AfD_Bayern), “Nicht der 8. Mai—Merkels endgültiger Rückzug aus der Politik wird einst als Tag der Befreiung in die Geschichtsbücher eingehen,” Twitter, May 8, 2020. This Tweet was deleted by the AfD Bavaria (@AfD_Bayern) but has been captured by the author.
Putin’s Amendments to Russia’s Constitution Sparks Debate About Russian Nationalism
Valery Engel
On many occasions, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for the adoption of new amendments to the Russian Constitution. Putin has usually referenced several reasons why the head of state would want to change the basic law of the country, which is only twenty-seven years old. This is the desire to expand the powers of the Duma (parliament), and limit the tenure of the presidency to two terms without the fateful word “in a row”, which allowed Putin to be elected four times, to ensure the immunity of former presidents and establish the priority of the constitution of the Russian Federation over international