“Deceived” East Germans could be on course to give AfD power

Saxony-Anhalt votes on Sunday, and the far-right AfD is expected to achieve its strongest result yet. The question posed by Thomas Steinfeld is why people in a region of picturesque towns and historic architecture feel so deceived.

A few years ago, Steinfeld stood on the wall surrounding the collegiate church in Quedlinburg, a small town in central Germany about 200 kilometers southwest of Berlin. The church sits on a rocky outcrop and resembles a medieval fortress.

A Swedish friend standing beside him looked out over the town, with dark forests behind it. “Wow,” Hans said, “it looks like the Germany one only dreams of.”

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Wow, it looks like the Germany one only dreams of.

Below the church, Quedlinburg has almost 2,000 half-timbered houses. The oldest date to sometime in the 13th century, and more than half are over 200 years old. Narrow cobblestone streets wind through the town, pointed spires rise above its squares, and an almost intact wall surrounds the whole scene, complete with gates and watchtowers.

“It is,” Hans whispered, “as if the whole 20th century had never happened.”

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It is as if the whole 20th century had never happened.