The song writer Wolf Biermann expressed deep disappointment regarding the AfD’s surge in power across Eastern Germany. While rejecting any portrayal of his reaction as hysterical, Biermann told the magazine “Zeit” that anyone who is not “bewildered” or “sad” in this situation must be a “dreamer.” Despite this sadness, he feels connected to the AfD voters, just as he feels connected to all Eastern Germans, because, in his view, “we come from the same drama, from the same misery, only with very different biographies that no single person can choose for themselves.”
He described his emotional connection to Eastern Germans as a form of “political heartache.” Biermann stated that it grieves him profoundly when they spread propaganda lies, comparing them to those of Putin and Trump, against democracy. He observes that despite having moved out of the Eastern Bloc, they speak ill of their own country. He also suggested that Eastern Germans did not have to do much to achieve their current state, contrasting them favorably with Poland, Romania, and other socialist “brother nations” who were envious of the wealth enjoyed by Eastern Germany’s Western neighbor.
Looking at the current prosperity of Germany, Biermann sees a significant factor contributing to the AfD’s success. He points out that Germany enjoys an “incredibly richly equipped democracy” and a wealth and freedom unparalleled in their history. He argues that AfD voters are merely a reflection of this situation-a nation possessing “an absolutely insane advantage in wealth, prosperity, and peace.” He adds that this is the very reason why most refugees worldwide seek to come to Germany.
Biermann himself moved to the GDR as a young man and was granted citizenship in 1976-50 years ago. Today, he resides in Hamburg, his birthplace. His father, a Jewish communist, was murdered in Auschwitz. Furthermore, Biermann issued a historical warning to the West about the potential resurgence of extreme movements. Regarding Hamburg, he claimed, “We had 99 percent pro-Nazi Germans.” He maintains that the return of barbarism remains conceivable at any point in time.
