Holocaust survivor warns AfD election win is fueling fear among German Jews

Charlotte Knobloch, president of Munich’s Jewish community, told DW that the AfD’s strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt had revived fears among Jews about their future in Germany. She urged established parties to unite against the far-right party and said she had recently received death threats linked by a spokeswoman to the election result.

Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, has warned that the Alternative for Germany’s (AfD) victory in Saxony-Anhalt has created a dangerous atmosphere for Jewish people in Germany. Speaking to DW, she said some Jews were again considering leaving the country after decades of rebuilding trust following the Holocaust.

The AfD won almost 44% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt’s September 6 state election. The state’s Office for the Protection of the Constitution classifies the party as “confirmed right-wing extremist,” according to the supplied report. Although AfD lead candidate Ulrich Siegmund did not win an absolute majority, DW reported that he still had a strong chance of becoming premier, which would make him the first head of a German state government from a right-wing extremist party since World War II.

“We can’t allow any of those people to become state premier,” Knobloch told DW, describing the situation as “very dangerous.” She called on other parties to recognize the threat and oppose it with courage. Knobloch also criticized established parties for failing to confront the AfD decisively and said they should address the issue jointly rather than acting alone.

Knobloch said the political debate needed to reach young people more effectively, particularly those who are afraid to speak publicly about their concerns. She argued that politicians must find ways to bring young people back into political discussion, saying that public statements alone had not produced a genuine debate.

The nearly 94-year-old Knobloch is one of Germany’s best-known Jewish representatives and one of the last surviving witnesses of the Nazi dictatorship. She survived the Holocaust after a family acquaintance sheltered her on a farm in Middle Franconia and presented her as the daughter of non-Jewish farmers. She told DW that memories of that period had become constant, saying she now woke up and went to bed thinking about it.

The report also said Knobloch received death threats last week. Police were informed after threats were found on a park bench and a rubbish bin in Munich’s English Garden, and she canceled an event. A spokeswoman told dpa that the threats were directly linked to the AfD’s election victory.