Culture rarely dominates election campaigns. Inflation, migration and security usually attract far more attention than theatres, museums or local art centres. But in Saxony-Anhalt, where voters will elect a new state parliament this September, culture has unexpectedly become a part of the political battleground.
The trigger was unusual. More than 25 cultural institutions—from the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation, to the Theatre of the Altmark, and numerous museums, memorial sites and sociocultural centres—joined forces in April to publish a public statement. Together, they warned that the AfD’s vision for cultural policy could fundamentally change the role of publicly funded culture in the state. According to the institutions, the party’s proposals point towards a “nationalist cultural policy” that threatens artistic freedom, cultural diversity and Germany’s democratic culture of remembrance. Such a united intervention by cultural organisations is rare—and reflects how seriously many within the sector take the upcoming election.
The warning is directed at a chapter that many election observers might otherwise overlook: culture. In its government programme, the AfD Saxony-Anhalt calls for a “patriotic turn” in cultural policy and argues that publicly funded institutions should strengthen a “self-confident German identity”. The programme criticises Germany’s current remembrance culture, calls for greater emphasis on the “positive sides” of German history, and proposes that cultural funding should increasingly reflect national identity. It also advocates a stronger focus on German works in publicly funded theatres. Critics see these proposals as an attempt to redefine not only cultural funding but also the purpose of culture itself.
Nowhere is this debate more visible than in rural eastern Germany. Outside Berlin or Leipzig, theatres, village museums, and sociocultural centres are often much more than places for exhibitions or performances. They are meeting points, educational spaces and, in many communities, among the few remaining public places where people regularly come together. Most of them rely heavily on state funding, making cultural policy more than an abstract political discussion—it has tangible consequences for everyday life.
Yet the debate reaches far beyond Saxony-Anhalt. Across Europe, governments and populist parties increasingly argue that publicly funded culture should promote national identity rather than diversity. Hungary under Viktor Orbán was the best-known example of this approach, with increased political influence over universities, theatres and cultural institutions such as the Petofi Literary Museum or the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest. Significantly, the AfD’s program names Hungary as a source of inspiration—a point that the signatories of the joint statement explicitly highlight.
The question facing Saxony-Anhalt is, therefore, larger than just one regional election. It is a question many European democracies are beginning to confront: Should culture primarily strengthen national identity, or should it remain a space for pluralism, critical reflection and competing perspectives? As voters prepare to cast their ballots, that debate has already begun.
Further Reading:
- Joint statement by cultural institutions in Saxony-Anhalt: (https://www.lassa-ev.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/PM_43_StGS_Gemeinsame-Stellungnahme-der-Kultursinstitutionen_16.04.26-1.pdf)
- State Working Group of Sociocultural Centers in the State of Saxony-Anhalt e. V.: (https://www.lassa-ev.de/)
- AfD Program Saxony-Anhalt: (https://afd-regierungsprogramm.de/)
- Article about political pressure on the Petofi Literary Museum: (https://www.dw.com/de/orban-bringt-ungarns-museen-unter-kontrolle/a-69764356)
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