Henriette Kretz, a Holocaust survivor, expressed concern over the growing strength of the AfD party in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of the state election. Speaking to “Der Spiegel”, Kretz warned that the aims of the party reminded her of the period during the Nazi era. “What I understand that this party wants reminds me of back then,” the 91-year-old said, adding, “I know where something like that leads.”
Kretz travelled from her home in Antwerp to Magdeburg, where she addressed several thousand people during a demonstration on the cathedral square on Saturday. She was invited to speak by the Diocese of Magdeburg.
She shared her own history, noting that she lost her parents during the Nazi persecution when she was nine years old. Her life was saved when a Catholic nun hid the girl.
Despite her powerful personal experiences, Kretz emphasized that she would not give any electoral recommendation to the people of Saxony-Anhalt. “I am not coming to Magdeburg to tell people what they should vote for,” she stated. She insisted that no one could tell another person what to do or how to vote; she could only recount what she had witnessed.
Addressing the danger of dividing humanity, Kretz warned against categorizing people into groups and assigning them differential value. “We must not divide people into races. Not into groups that are more valuable than others,” she asserted. “We look different, we have different cultures-and that is a gift.”
The 91-year-old also voiced her worries regarding the rise of right-wing extremism, noting that it is not confined to Europe but is a global issue. “We apparently still have not grasped that we need to stop the hatred.”
