AfD’s resurrection of Hitler’s preference for “pure German” folk art
Nazi symbols are forbidden by German law, which is why the ultra-right in the country today does not conspicuously flaunt the imagery of the nation’s past. Nazi visual tropes suggest a retrograde vision of the present. So it is surprising that the AfD (Alternative for Germany) party, currently one of the largest opposition political groups — and one that was recently deemed an “extremist organization” — has resurrected a reminder of Hitler’s passion for Völkischer Kunst (the people’s or folk art). Völkischer Kunst celebrated the innocent pride of Das Deutsche Mädel (the German maiden), the official blueprint of Nazi expectations for what girls should become — and paintings and posters were common visual fare for the monthly magazine of the same German title.
Women were often portrayed as the loyal followers of Hitler, or as the quiet Hausfrau relegated to her realm of domesticity. That the AfD would use the image above speaks volumes about the party’s social and ideological leanings. Images speak volumes, and when linked to anti-immigrant and anti-democratic rhetoric, must serve as a wake-up call for those who support the costly Postwar freedoms.
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