Education and culture policy heat up ahead of eastern German elections

Political debates over education, history, and cultural policy are intensifying across eastern Germany ahead of upcoming state elections. Educators in the region report a rise in far-right rhetoric and symbols among students, prompting Thuringia's education ministry to partner with the University of Jena to send constitutional coaches to schools to strengthen democratic values.

To address gaps in historical knowledge, Evelyn Zupke, the federal commissioner for victims of the SED dictatorship, called for mandatory school visits to East German memorial sites alongside expanded instruction on the communist era. Meanwhile, cultural funding has become a central campaign issue. In Saxony-Anhalt, the Alternative for Germany proposed stripping public funds from projects deemed anti-German, prompting concerns over future support for Holocaust memorials, theater diversity, and Bauhaus heritage.

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