“We want allies who can defend themselves so that no adversary will ever be tempted to test our collective strength. This is why we do not want our allies to be shackled by guilt and shame. We want allies who are proud of their culture and of their heritage, who understand that we are heirs to the same great and noble civilization, and who, together with us, are willing and able to defend it.”

An end to guilt—these words have a very specific and clear meaning to ears attuned to the German far-right discourse. Politicians of the far-right AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) have repeatedly called for an end of what they call the “guilt cult”—by which they mean Germany’s remembrance of the Holocaust and Nazi atrocities. The phrase (“Schuldkult” in German), originated in the neo-Nazi scene of the 1980s, although the attempt to downplay Nazi crimes and put a stop to their remembrance was certainly not limited to neo-Nazis. Those who use it today seek to trivialize Nazi crimes and believe that memorials only exist to oppress today’s Germans under collective guilt, which prevents them from achieving national greatness.