Following the collapse of communism in 1989 and the subsequent reunification of East and West Germany in 1990, numerous individuals in the five eastern states found themselves not only jobless but also stripped of their collective history. This loss left them feeling disoriented and vulnerable within the capitalist framework.
Sabine Thonke’s participation in a recent protest in Berlin against Germany’s far-right party marked a significant moment for her. It was the first time in years that she felt a sense of optimism about the possibility of halting the increasing influence of extremists in her country.
Thonke, 59, had been closely observing the ascent of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) with growing unease. However, when she learned about a proposed plan to deport millions of people, she felt compelled to take action. “I never imagined that such inhumane ideas would gain traction in Germany again,” she remarked.
“I thought we had learned the lessons from our past,” Thonke expressed. Many Germans shared her sentiment, believing that their country had built an immunity to nationalism and claims of racial superiority. This was achieved through confronting the horrors of its Nazi history via education and enacting laws to prohibit persecution.
