Concentration camp memorials in Germany are recording more and more attacks from the right-wing spectrum. Right-wing extremists are apparently no longer afraid to visit memorial sites and openly propagate their ideology.
According to the spokesman for the Working Group of Concentration Camp Memorials, these facilities are complaining about a noticeable increase in attacks. “The number of incidents is increasing noticeably: vandalism through swastika graffiti, damage to memorial plaques or denial of Nazi crimes represent a problem of a serious dimension,” said Oliver von Wrochem to the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung”.
Attitudes are shown openly
According to the head of the Neuengamme Concentration Camp Memorial, the perpetrators are often located on the right-wing spectrum. “People with right-wing views are no longer afraid to visit concentration camp memorials and openly express right-wing extremist ideas here.” Many institutions have reacted to this development by tightening their house rules: “People who wear forbidden symbols, express openly anti-Semitic or historical revisionist comments will be expelled from the premises.”
Such incidents are reported, von Wrochem continued: “However, the actions are often very subtle. For example, by asking questions about history that suggest that the Holocaust did not exist or that put the Nazi crimes into perspective.”
Connection with AfD election successes suspected
The spokesman for the Working Group of Memorials sees the increase in incidents as a reference to the AfD’s recent electoral successes: “A party that is partly right-wing extremist does well in elections. And in Germany it is too often without consequences to be anti-Semitic, racist, anti-Gypsy or historical revisionist “It all has an impact.”
With regard to the anti-Israel demonstrations and anti-Semitic attitudes among migrants, von Wrochem said: “So far, I have not observed any increased incidents in memorial sites that commemorate Nazi injustice that can be directly traced back to it.” However, it cannot be ruled out that this will change: “Social developments always have an impact on the work of memorial sites, and memorial sites must find answers to these challenges.”