German Right-Wing Politician Blasts German WWII Mentality of 'Defeated People'

One of Germany’s right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party leaders Bjorn Hocke on Wednesday slammed Berlin's approach toward the country's World War II legacy, saying Germany is the only nation that had erected a monument of shame in the center of its capital.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Hocke called the German mentality on World War II and the Holocaust one of shame and of a "defeated people."

"Until now, our mental state continues to be that of a totally defeated people. We Germans are the only people in the world that have planted a monument of shame in the heart of their capital," Hocke said, referring to the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin, as quoted by the Guardian.

In his speech at a beer hall in Dresden, the politician also slammed German school education, stating that its current approach to teaching history is designed to make Germany appear "mean and ridiculous," and that this could not go on in the same manner.

The world-famous holocaust memorial opened on 2005 in Berlin to honor the millions of Jews who perished in the Holocaust during World War II. The somber memorial site is covered with 2,711 concrete slabs.

Populist parties, including the AfD, have gained momentum in the European Union over recent months amid the EU refugee crisis. During the September state parliamentary election in Berlin, the AfD, running on an anti-immigration campaign, won 25 seats, becoming the fifth in popularity among voters.

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