AfD lawmaker Tillschneider aims to reshape German historical education ahead of state election

Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, a 48-year-old member of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Saxony-Anhalt, is positioning himself to influence the state’s cultural policy and school curricula ahead of the September 6 election. As the party’s spokesperson for culture and education, he helped draft a program that would redirect cultural funding, promote "patriotic tourism" and adjust history lessons to include more content on figures such as Otto von Bismarck while reducing the focus on the Nazi era.

Tillschneider told a local AfD gathering that the party wants to "spread the joy of being German" and celebrate national heritage. He said the aim is not to eliminate teaching about the Third Reich, but to "shift the emphasis" so that the Nazi past loses its current urgency. > "Of course, I’d also like to see history classes on the Third Reich, but good history classes convey a sense of the otherness of the past," he said.

The AfD’s platform also proposes cutting funding for what it calls "anti-German art" and treating war memorials from both world wars equally, without political distinction. Party leader Ulrich Siegmund praised Tillschneider’s work on the manifesto, noting his contribution of "hundreds of hours" to the document.

Tillschneider, a former university lecturer with a doctorate on early Islamic legal theory, has become associated with the party’s more radical wing, often referred to as Der Flügel. He argues that Germany’s post-war culture of remembrance creates a "guilt cult" that weakens national identity and makes the country vulnerable to external influences.

Supporters at an AfD family festival in Querfurt expressed a range of motivations, from a desire to celebrate German achievements to concerns about economic issues and immigration policy. Tillschneider described the proposed changes as a way to address what he sees as a "cracked identity" and suggested initiatives such as a "pride month" for German culture and a festival featuring German music.

If the AfD secures a majority in the state parliament, Tillschneider could head a ministry overseeing education and cultural funding, giving him significant authority to implement the proposed revisions.