Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Jewish community in Munich and Bavaria, has expressed concern over the electoral victory of the extremist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections. Knobloch stated that with such events occurring, some Jews are once again considering leaving Germany.
Concern about the return of fears
She said: "It took years for Jews in Germany to trust the country again after the Holocaust. But now there are great fears once again. We have tried to rebuild Jewish communities after 1945 and give Jews a sense of home that they have long been without."
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In the Saxony-Anhalt state elections held on September 6, the AfD party received nearly 44 percent of the votes. Although the AfD's main candidate, Ulrich Siegmund, did not manage to secure an absolute majority, he still has a good chance of becoming the state's prime minister, which, if realized, would make him the first head of a state government from an extremist right-wing party since World War II.
Knobloch's serious warning
Knobloch loudly warned: "We cannot allow any of these individuals to reach the state premiership. The situation is very dangerous right now. I hope other parties understand this and stand against it. Doing so requires courage."
Knobloch, who is nearly 94 years old, is one of the most recognized representatives of Jewish life in Germany and one of the last living witnesses of the Nazi dictatorship from 1933 to 1945. She was born in 1932 and was initially raised by her grandmother, who was deported to the Theresienstadt camp in 1942 and died there. A family acquaintance saved her and introduced her as his own child on his farm in Middle Franconia.
In recent years, Knobloch has repeatedly warned about the rise of anti-Semitism in Germany. However, she did not foresee that extremist right-wing parties like the AfD would grow so rapidly. She said: "There are new dangers that did not exist in this form ten years ago. There have always been Nazis and anti-Semites, but not in the way we see today."
Knobloch also emphasized the need for more communication with young people, stating that this interaction is not happening sufficiently. She expressed: "These issues are talked about, but there is no real discussion because young people are naturally concerned that what they say will reach the public. What I want to say is that we need to find ways to bring young people back into these conversations."
Last week, Knobloch received death threats. A witness discovered the threats on a park bench and a trash can in Munich's English Garden and reported them to the police. These threats were directly related to the electoral victory of the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt.
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