The forgotten history behind the AfD
Dear Reader,
Why are so many leading AfD figures descendants of Germans expelled from eastern Europe after the Second World War?
In this week’s Saturday essay, I look at the historical trauma and memory politics that may help explain the emotional core of the party’s worldview — from Björn Höcke’s family history in East Prussia to the long decline of Germany’s once-powerful refugee organisations.
The piece explores:
why Höcke’s viral podcast interview caused such panic in the German media
how post-war Germany integrated millions of expelled Germans
why the memory of lost homelands never entirely disappeared
and how some of these political currents may now be resurfacing through the AfD
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