Descendant of Nazi Opponent Sparks Controversy by Attempting to Remove Far-Right Party’s Wreath at Hitler Plot Memorial Event

A descendant of an executed opponent of the Nazis sparked controversy by attempting to remove a wreath from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party at an event in Berlin marking the 82nd anniversary of a failed attempt to kill Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler.

The incident occurred on Monday at the site where the main plotters were executed, with security officers intervening and the wreath being damaged in the scuffle.

Tobias Korenke, a great-nephew of Protestant pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was associated with the plotters and executed in 1945, attempted to remove the wreath from the parliamentary group of Alternative for Germany, or AfD, at Monday’s event.

“Many descendants, myself included, feel really great anger when we see AfD laying wreaths here,” Korenke said. “We will not accept this.”

AfD’s Role in the Controversy

AfD finished second in last year’s German national election and is now the biggest opposition party, with the party hoping to secure its first-ever state governor when three regions vote in September.

The party vehemently rejects accusations of extremism, with AfD lawmaker Götz Frömming saying it is invited to such official events as one of the parties represented in the German parliament.

However, the decision by AfD to lay a wreath at the memorial event has been met with criticism from many, including the descendant of Col. Claus von Stauffenberg, who tried to kill Hitler with a briefcase bomb on July 20, 1944, during a meeting at the dictator’s headquarters in what was then the German region of East Prussia.

“We are democrats … we must see that we also allow people who think differently to speak,” Karl von Stauffenberg, a grandson of the colonel, told Welt television.

However, the descendant of Bonhoeffer, Tobias Korenke, disagrees with this view, stating that he feels “really great anger” when he sees AfD laying wreaths at the memorial site.

Historical Context of the Event

The failed attempt to kill Hitler occurred on July 20, 1944, during a meeting at the dictator’s headquarters in what was then the German region of East Prussia.

Col. Claus von Stauffenberg and his fellow plotters were executed within hours, with Hitler escaping the full force of the blast when someone moved the briefcase next to a table leg, deflecting much of the explosive force.

The plot crumbled when news spread that Hitler had survived, with the event marking a turning point in the war.

Today, the memorial site remains a contentious issue, with many descendants of those involved in the plot objecting to the presence of the far-right AfD party at the event.

Memorial Event Proceeds as Planned

The memorial event went ahead as planned with a speech by Education Minister Karin Prien, despite the controversy surrounding the AfD party’s wreath.

The event was attended by various dignitaries, including the education minister, who delivered a speech in memory of the fallen heroes.

The event marked the 82nd anniversary of the failed attempt to kill Hitler, with many attendees paying their respects to the victims of the plot.