The True Danger of the AfD’s Popularity

Ahead of the eastern German state election in Saxony-Anhalt on Sunday, many have warned against the drastic rise of the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). Some simply label the party far-right because it rejects left-wing trends such as mass immigration and transgenderism. But the AfD isn’t your typical conservative party.

The AfD’s stance against mass immigration and transgenderism are what most people criticize. But the real cause for concern is often overlooked.

In World War ii, Nazi Germany caused the death of tens of millions, including 6 million Jews. When the Allied powers defeated it in 1945, they institutionalized an educational system that forced the German people to learn from their history so that they would never repeat it.

A growing number of Germans see this focus on past guilt as oppressive. They want to forget those atrocities and move on. They want to be proud of German history again.

AfD leaders have repeatedly claimed that focusing on Germany’s guilt burdens the nation. Now the AfD is Germany’s most popular party.

Hans-Thomas Tillschneider has shaped much of the party’s governing agenda for Saxony-Anhalt. He is the party’s spokesman for educational policy and is set to oversee the state’s school curricula if the AfD gains power.

Tillschneider says focusing on Germany’s Nazi past is “not good.” He claims it’s a “guilt cult” that threatens German identity. Instead he wants to “spread the joy of being German” and teach “more Bismarck, less Hitler.”

He says his party will “shift the emphasis” away from Nazi history. From his viewpoint, a good teaching of history conveys “a sense of the otherness of the past.” In other words, the past can’t be judged by modern values.

The AfD’s agenda in Saxony-Anhalt is a step toward rewriting that history in a positive light. It wants to raise monuments commemorating the actions of German soldiers in both world wars. The AfD program reads: “Fallen soldiers gave their lives to defend their country. Recognizing and honoring this great sacrifice is a first sign of a patriotic turnaround.”

AfD politicians claim those soldiers were defending Germany and therefore should be celebrated. They view this as a “sign of a patriotic turnaround.”

According to Politico, they also want to cut state funding for art they deem anti-German and promote “patriotic tourism.” That might sound innocent, but it is similar to what the Nazi regime did.

By addressing problems such as migration, the destruction of the traditional family and the economy, the AfD draws much support.

The AfD’s biggest problem is its refusal to acknowledge that German history was filled with darkness.

The Third Reich wasn’t just a dark blip in German history. It was a resurrection of Charlemagne’s Holy Roman empire, which was centered in modern-day Germany and massacred millions over the centuries. Nearly all of German history is marred by that Holy Roman Empire and its successions, from Otto the Great to the Habsburgs to Otto von Bismarck and Hitler.

Mainstream parties in many ways have the same issue as the AfD, but present it more subtly. They condemn Hitler, while praising the mass murderer Charlemagne.

The Bible’s Warning

Where will celebrating Germany’s dark history lead? It will lead to a resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire. Our free booklet Germany and the Holy Roman Empire states:

The spirit and message of Hitler did not die when the war ended. It lives on. And soon, its ugly head will resurface to thrust this world into one final all-out battle before Jesus Christ returns (Matthew 24:21-22).

The AfD’s popularity shows that spirit of Hitler is alive in Germany.

Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote in our April 2025 issue:

History rings clarion alarm bells about the Holy Roman Empire. Its past is full of intolerance, conspiracy, betrayal, bloodshed, executions and other nightmares. But what happened historically is only a foretaste of the carnage this final resurrection is prophesied to inflict! And it will not be friends of America, Britain or the Jewish state.

Another holocaust is coming! The Jewish people, Americans, Britons and the whole world need to be warned!

For a thorough explanation of Germany’s history and how it will be repeated, read Germany and the Holy Roman Empire.