Heidenau, in the German state of Saxony, banned new “stumbling stone” Holocaust memorials after a September 24 city council vote. The motion, supported by the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Christian Democratic Union (cdu) parties, is another step for Germany away from remembering the Holocaust as anti-Semitism spikes worldwide.

• Stumbling stones are plaques embedded in sidewalks near former Jewish homes or businesses whose inhabitants were murdered by the Nazis.

• The plaques, often bearing short descriptions of the victims, are meant for pedestrians to stumble on them. They attract attention and remind people of the horrible events that took place here.

• Heidenau, a suburb of Dresden, has a population of 17,000 and has only five total stumbling stones.

Blotting out the Holocaust: The AfD, Germany’s most popular political party, has Nazi sympathies and promotes moving on from German guilt for the Holocaust. Yet it hasn’t been able to influence many levels of the government in changing policy on Holocaust memory. The Heidenau vote is a notable exception.

• The ban couldn’t become law without support from the cdu, which currently governs Germany under Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Germany’s legacy parties generally avoid cooperating with the AfD on any issue. That the cdu felt comfortable cooperating with the AfD on Holocaust commemoration is startling.

• The cdu in Saxony distanced itself from the vote, stating it was “on the side of Jews in Saxony and Germany.”

Minor memorials in minor towns may seem like peripheral issues. But the Trumpet has warned of a resurgence of Nazi culture in Germany for decades. The Heigenau ban is another signal that this resurgence is happening. This is one symptom of dangerous changes in Europe that will shake the world. Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry explained how in his article “Nazism Rises Again in Germany.”