⚠️ Today, the CDU deliberately collaborated with the right-wing extremist AfD. All other parties made their position clear beforehand. The @cdu cannot pretend to regret it!!!

The CDU's decision today to cooperate with the far-right AfD is a deeply troubling moment in German politics, and it feels like a significant departure from the principles on which the party was founded. As the great-grandson of Dr. Werner Hilpert, a co-founder of the CDU and a political prisoner in the Buchenwald concentration camp for over five years, I am particularly sensitive to the historical weight this decision carries. My great-grandfather and others risked their lives to establish a party that stood firmly against extremism and for democratic values.

By seeking support from the AfD, the CDU risks undermining the very foundation of those values. The AfD, with its radical positions, challenges the democratic principles that the CDU once defended so strongly - such as human dignity, equality, and the protection of minorities. This move represents a break from the firewall that was once firmly in place to keep extremist forces at bay. It’s hard to ignore the historical context in which my great-grandfather and many others built the party: a time when the fight against tyranny and fascism was literal, and their vision for Germany was one of reconciliation, freedom, and democracy.

The consequences of this decision go far beyond a simple political maneuver. It could embolden the AfD, normalize extremist rhetoric, and deepen political polarization across Germany. Once the line is crossed, the danger of a gradual erosion of democratic principles becomes very real. The CDU’s move today risks destabilizing the political landscape, and it may open the door for further compromises with forces that threaten the integrity of Germany’s democratic order. It’s a moment that should make every member of the CDU reflect on the legacy of those who built it and whether they are still living up to those founding principles.

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The monument to my great-grandfather Werner Hilpert (1897-1957) in the Dr.-Werner-Hilpert-Siedlung (Dr. Werner Hilpert settlement), east of the former Camp King in Oberursel, Germany.

He was a politician who took his humanist ideals very seriously. That's why he's a very important example for me. If you ask me if I'm a better person because of my great-grandfather, then I can only affirm that. It's my responsibility to keep the memory alive.

In 1932 he became President of the Center Party in Saxony until the dissolution in 1933. He lost all functions. From 1932 to 1937 he was President of the Catholic Action in Saxony and was in open opposition to National Socialism.

In collaboration with Carl Goerdeler he was adviser and authorised representative of Jewish citizens in "Aryanization". The resisters saved the lives of many Jewish families.

He worked as a syndic in a Jewish business building, trying to keep working conditions as human as possible. His office also burnt down during Kristallnacht in 1938.

In September 1939, he was arrested by the Gestapo. He spent the next 5 1/2 years in Buchenwald concentration camp as a political prisoner.

He was member of the Buchenwald Resistance and the Buchenwald Popular Front Committee. They not only campaigned for the prisoners, but also considered how Germany should continue after National Socialism.

In 1945, after Germany was freed from the Nazis, he took part in founding the CDU party in Hesse and was elected President of the CDU Hesse.

The second picture shows an election poster for the state election of Hesse in 1946. [License by CDU, creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/de/deed.de]

🤗 For a more nuanced discussion, please feel free to use the comments section, private messages or the anonymous contact form on my website.