The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), a far-right political party in Germany, is challenging the country's established approach to remembering its history, particularly the period of National Socialism. The party seeks to reframe Germany's historical narrative by downplaying the significance of the Nazi era and emphasizing what it calls a "positive" national past. Rather than outright denying the Holocaust or Nazi atrocities, which is illegal in Germany, the AfD questions the dominant "culture of repentance" that has shaped German identity since the 1980s. It argues that the sufferings of the German people during World War II should be given equal weight to the victims of the Nazi regime. The AfD's growing influence is evident in its recent electoral successes. In the regional elections held in Saxony-Anhalt on September 6, 2026, the party received 43.8% of the vote, and in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania on September 20, it secured 38.2%. These results have raised concerns about the party's approach to historical memory. Since the 1980s, Germany has placed a strong emphasis on remembering the Nazi period as a central part of its national identity. This was reinforced by President Richard von Weizsäcker's speech in 1985, which marked the 40th anniversary of the end of Nazi rule and called for national reflection and reconciliation. The AfD has long sought to challenge this official memory culture. Since its first participation in regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt in 2016, the party has made statements that downplay the twelve years of Nazi rule. Alexander Gauland, one of the party's co-founders, argued in 2017 that Germany should no longer be judged by these years and that the Nazi period should not define the country's identity. In 2018, he went further, suggesting that the Nazi era was merely a "bird's dropping" in Germany's 1,000-year history of achievements. The AfD's vision of memory includes shifting focus from the victims of the Holocaust to the suffering of the German population during World War II, such as those affected by Allied bombings or the expulsion of Germans from Eastern Europe. This approach has led to initiatives like a 2019 proposal to commemorate the bombings of Dresden on February 13. The party also seeks to replace school trips to Nazi sites with visits to other historical locations, promoting what it calls a more balanced view of Germany's past. As the last direct witnesses of the Nazi era disappear, concerns grow about how future generations will remember this period, particularly if the AfD's influence continues to expand.