East German election debate centers on education, history, and cultural policy

Ahead of upcoming regional elections in eastern Germany, debates have intensified over education, historical memory, and cultural policy. Educators in eastern states report a rise in far-right behavior among students, including the display of prohibited symbols and singing of nationalist songs. To address gaps in knowledge regarding former East Germany, federal commissioner Evelyn Zupke advocated for mandatory student visits to former communist regime memorial sites and expanded history lessons.

Concurrently, cultural policy has become a key campaign topic. In Saxony-Anhalt, the Alternative for Germany party proposed ending public funding for programs it deems "anti-German," raising concerns over future support for Holocaust memorials, theaters, and institutions such as the Bauhaus. Separately, administrative figures from Berlin show nearly 400 public schoolteachers have been on continuous sick leave for over a year.

Sources: Correctiv, Der Spiegel, DW, FAZ, Tagesschau