Newyorker iconNewyorkerSep 8, 2026

Can East Germany’s Cold War History Explain the Rise of the AfD?

After winning a state election this past weekend, the German far right is closer to power than it has been in decades.

Can East Germany’s Cold War History Explain the Rise of the AfD?

Share this story

Send the public story page.

Useful takeaways from this story.

After winning a state election this past weekend, the German far right is closer to power than it has been in decades.

Building the complete brief

The page is ready to read now. The fuller skim-friendly version will appear here automatically.

The useful part

After winning a state election this past weekend, the German far right is closer to power than it has been in decades.

Keep reading in the app

Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.

Open in app