Survivors of the German concentration and extermination camps view the current election successes of the AfD in Germany as a wake-up call, not just for society in Germany but for all European societies where nationalist separatism and simplistic slogans have led to similar results.

The survivors are deeply pained and concerned by these election results which illustrate all too clearly how damaged the European ship is and the level of decline in peoples’ perception of Europe as a project of hope after a horrific war and after Auschwitz.

During a stay at the Auschwitz Memorial, the Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee, Christoph Heubner, stated:

"When right-wing populism with its racist sediments returns to Germany in such a massive resurge, it sends out a painful and alarming signal to all of the people who suffered under the Nazis. They are now setting their hopes, above all, on a united society in Germany, that – whether parties, churches or trade unions – stands up against the intimidating slogans and simplifications of the right, and at the same time embodies the diversity, the liberty to argue hard and the richness of democracy in Germany and Europe."