German town sparks outrage as far-right and conservatives rally against Holocaust memorial plaques

In Heidenau, a town near Dresden in eastern Germany, the city council approved a motion on September 25, 2026, to ban future installations of brass plaques commemorating victims of Nazi persecution. The decision was supported by both the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the ruling center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU). These "stumbling stones" or Stolpersteine are small brass memorials embedded in sidewalks near where victims once lived or worked. Critics argue that this move challenges Germany’s commitment to Holocaust remembrance, with Education Minister Karin Prien calling it a "scandal." The CDU's involvement has sparked debate about the effectiveness of Germany’s informal firewall, known as the "Brandmauer," which aims to prevent mainstream parties from cooperating formally with the AfD.