Erfurt/Sonneberg (dpa/th) – The Thuringian AfD politician Holger Winterstein drew sharp criticism with a pose on the Holocaust memorial in Berlin. He has now resigned as deputy chairman of the AfD’s Sonneberg regional association, as Torben Braga, deputy spokesman for the AfD’s Thuringia regional association, confirmed on Wednesday. The MDR had previously reported on the resignation.
Winterstein climbed the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe on the sidelines of a large AfD demonstration in Berlin at the weekend and had himself photographed with his arms outstretched. He posted the picture on his Facebook page, but later deleted it.
Commenting on Winterstein’s behavior on Twitter, Israeli Ambassador Ron Prosor said: “Mr. Winterstein, everyone is watching you dance while you bring shame on yourself and your party.” The Executive Vice President of the International Auschwitz Committee Christoph Heubner called Winterstein’s behavior “disgusting”. He insults survivors of the Holocaust and mocks their murdered relatives.
The federal board of the AfD also condemned Winterstein’s “extremely disrespectful behavior” in a statement.
Thuringia’s Minister of the Interior, Georg Maier (SPD), declared that Winterstein’s behavior was “intolerable” and announced that the criminal relevance of the incident would be examined.