German Right-Wing Party AfD Proposes 'Patriotic' History Curriculum, Less Focus on Hitler
The German right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) is advocating for a new history curriculum in schools that emphasizes German national pride and reduces the focus on the country's Nazi past. Hans-Thomas Tillschneider, a key ideologue and lead author of the AfD's government program, stated that the curriculum should include 'more Bismarck, less Hitler' and more about 19th-century Germany. Tillschneider believes that the current education system perpetuates a 'guilt complex' that hinders national pride. This proposal comes as the AfD is gaining significant political traction, particularly in the eastern German state of Saxony-Anhalt, where polls suggest they could secure over 40% of the vote. The party's critics, including history teacher and SPD city council member Katharina Kohl, argue that the existing curriculum already covers figures like Bismarck extensively and that the topic of Hitler is introduced appropriately in later grades (9th and 10th). Kohl emphasizes that good history education shou... 
