Holocaust survivor Albrecht Weinberg, aged 99, has made headlines with his decision to return his federal Order of Merit award to the German state. This poignant act of protest arises from his discontent over the political collaboration between Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party and the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Weinberg, who famously survived three concentration camps during World War II, expressed his deep disappointment. "I'm very disappointed at the moment. I don't want to know anything. I can see my youth in front of me again. It's hard to believe," he told Stern, underscoring his emotional turmoil as he witnesses political dynamics reminiscent of the past he endured.
Changing the political tide, Merz's CDU advanced an anti-immigration motion this week, calling for the turning away of irregular migrants and asylum seekers at Germany's borders. The motion succeeded by 348 votes to 345, with the CDU relying on 75 votes from the AfD—significantly marking the first time the CDU sought support from the far-right party.
The protests against the CDU's shift have not only come from Weinberg. Prominent voices within German society—including former Chancellor Angela Merkel—have criticized the current party leadership for straying from the legacy of centrist policies. Merkel expressed her disapproval, stating, "I regard it as wrong to abandon this commitment and, as a result, to knowingly allow a majority with AfD votes in the Bundestag for the first time."
Born to Jewish parents, Weinberg was imprisoned during one of history’s darkest chapters. He survived the infamous death camps, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen, and remembers the terror and tragic loss of most of his family. "It has become too heavy to bear when you have news like this. Terrible," he stated, reflecting on how the latest developments triggered painful memories of his youth.
Weinberg emigrated to the United States post-war, returning to Germany about ten years ago. Since then, he has dedicated time to sharing his story with younger generations, explaining the horrors of the past and warning against the resurgence of far-right ideologies. "I've been going to schools for the last 10 years and talking to pupils about what could and would happen if they were to take power again," he pointed out, highlighting the importance of education and remembrance.
Photographer Luigi Toscano, who has created the project 'Lest We Forget' to document Holocaust survivors, also plans to return his Order of Merit alongside Weinberg. Toscano remarked, "Yesterday, the CDU (conservatives) betrayed our democratic values with a resolution and the support of a party..." He, like many others, believes the CDU's actions signify troubling times echoing Germany's past.
The AfD, which has garnered scrutiny for its extremist views, previously criticized Germany's culture of remembrance concerning the Holocaust, being under surveillance for its right-wing extremist inclinations. The parliamentary vote took place just hours after lawmakers commemorated the liberation of Auschwitz, amplifying the irony of the situation.
Another holocaust survivor, Eva Umlauf, echoed similar sentiments when she warned about the risks of normalizing relations with the far right, drawing comparisons to 1930s Germany—before the Nazis seized power. Writing to Sueddeutsche Zeitung, she stated, "We all know how German politicians once thought they could cooperate with Hitler and the Nazi party. Keep them in check. And in just a few years, our democracy became a dictatorship..."
This event marks a significant and controversial turning point for Angela Merkel's ruling party, which had always distanced itself from the AfD throughout her tenure. The CDU's recent actions signal not just adaptation to voter concerns over immigration but also indicate troubling shifts within European democracy.
With more than 350,000 asylum applications submitted last year, the political climate around immigration continues to loom heavily over Germany—made more distressing as recent violence linked to immigration concerns stirred the public's perception. Former Chancellor Olaf Scholz has already made strides toward stricter immigration policies by pledging deportations of questionable asylum seekers and reducing refugee benefits.
This politically charged environment, juxtaposed with Weinberg's emotional protest, emphasizes the urgency of remembering the Holocaust's lessons and protecting democracy from extremist influences.
Weinberg and Toscano plan to return their awards to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier as symbolic actions against the current political climate, reinforcing the message: remembrance and vigilance are imperative. They, and many others, seek to remind Germany of its past as it navigates its present reality.