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Rewriting the past? Inside the AfD's history agenda

June 19, 2026

Berlin Briefing looks at how Germany remembers the Holocaust and why it's being targeted by the far-right AfD. Björn Höcke rejects German collective guilt, blaming only the Nazi dictatorship. With Melanie Amann, author of "Fear for Germany: The truth about the AfD" and social scientist Jakob Schergaut, host Michaela Küfner examines the controversy and the AfD’s push to reshape history.

https://p.dw.com/p/5Fizx

Chapters:

00:00 Intro 

01:07 Höcke statement analysis

02:40 Höcke's track record

03:42 Power inside AfD

07:35 Shift in narratives?

11:26 Strategy & timing

13:51 No reaction from Weidel

14:40 Weidel’s confidence

17:37 Appeal of East German identity

24:40 CDU-AfD relations

26:09 Firewall under pressure

29:46 Rewriting history?

31:17 Ban AfD option?

36:11 Outro


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