The Communist is No Longer Opportunistic as a Namesake

Hamburg’s governing coalition is pushing to defund the Willi Bredel Society, a local history workshop named after a controversial communist writer. The move has sparked accusations of a right-wing culture war from opposition parties, including the Greens and Die Linke. At the heart of the dispute lies Bredel’s contested legacy and the society’s refusal to modernise its approach.

Willi Bredel was a communist writer imprisoned and tortured at Fuhlsbüttel concentration camp between 1933 and 1934. After escaping to Moscow, he took part in interrogations of exiled German writers in 1936. Some of those named in his reports were later executed or died in custody. Following World War II, he produced propaganda for the Soviet Union and betrayed his friend Walter Janka, further tarnishing his reputation.

The coalition of SPD, CDU, and FDP now argues that the society’s focus is too narrow. They demand a critical re-examination of Bredel’s life, particularly his role in East Germany, as well as broader community engagement and efforts to attract younger participants. If the society fails to comply, it risks losing nearly €34,000 in annual funding for rent, staff, and operating costs. The coalition insists their proposal is about modernisation, not political conflict. They claim to have held talks with the society, though the organisation has so far declined to respond. Funding for the workshop, previously covered by the *Stiftung Erinnern, Forschen, Bilden*, will now rely on a mix of city grants, third-party donations, and the society’s own revenue. Opposition leaders, including Green Party faction leader Rachid Messaoudi and Left Party representatives, accuse the coalition of targeting the society for ideological reasons. They argue that the defunding threat is part of a broader right-wing push against left-leaning cultural institutions.

The future of the Willi Bredel Society now depends on whether it meets the coalition’s demands for reform. Without changes, the loss of funding could force the workshop to scale back operations or close entirely. The dispute also raises wider questions about how Hamburg addresses historical legacies tied to divisive figures from its past.