AfD Opens New Office in Controversial Nazi-Era Town, Sparking Debate

AfD sets up shop in a town with a dark past. Will the strategic location help or hinder the party's growth?

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2025 October 17 . 8:13 PM

1 min read

This looks like a building with the windows and the glass doors. I think this is a mosque. I can... — This looks like a building with the windows and the glass doors. I think this is a mosque. I can see the name board attached to the wall. These are the street lights. This looks like a traffic signal, which is attached to the pole. I can see the vehicles on the road. There are groups of people standing. Here is a tree. This looks like a CCTV camera, which is attached to a pole.

AfD Opens New Office in Controversial Nazi-Era Town, Sparking Debate

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Lower Saxony has established its new business office in Brettorf, a town with a controversial past. The location, while strategically central, has raised eyebrows due to its history and potential for unrest.

The new office is situated in a former Nazi model village, Dötlingen, which was shaped in 1936. The Hitler Youth house still stands, serving as a stark reminder of the area's past. The AfD, aware of this history, has held meetings here before, including the '1st Storm Festival'.

The new business office is not particularly representative, with a worn entrance and faded inn sign, but it does offer a large parking lot, allowing the AfD to hold events undisturbed. However, this may also invite antifascist resistance, given the location's history and the party's controversial stance.

The AfD Lower Saxony had 800 members in 2024 and won 17 seats in the state parliament with 11 percent of the vote in 2022. In polls, the party has been consistently at 16 percent since late 2024. Despite this, the party has been observed as a 'suspicious object' by the state office for the protection of the constitution since 2022.

The AfD's choice of Dötlingen as its new business office has sparked debate. While strategically central, the location's history and potential for unrest raise concerns. The party's continued presence and popularity in polls, despite being under surveillance, indicate a complex political landscape in Lower Saxony.