Musk calls to “turn the page” on the Holocaust: Germany and the world's reaction
Kyiv • UNN
Elon Musk said at an AfD party event that Germany should “turn the page” on the Nazi past. Jewish organizations and German politicians strongly condemned this statement on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

Elon Musk, speaking at an event of the right-wing radical party Alternative for Germany (AfD), said that the country should “turn the page” and stop feeling guilty about the crimes of the Nazi past.
Politico writes about it, UNN reports.
Musk's words came on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp and caused outrage among Jewish organizations and politicians. Germany's right-wing forces have long criticized the tradition of remembering Nazi crimes, which is known in the country as Erinnerungskultur (“culture of memory”). They argue that it only “depresses the spirit of the nation” and creates a “cult of guilt.
However, such statements used to be made mostly by political fringe figures. Now such messages are supported by one of the most influential businessmen in the world. Musk emphasized that “children should not bear the blame for the sins of their parents, let alone their great-grandparents,” alluding to the crimes of the Nazi regime.
Jewish communities in Germany and other countries strongly condemned Musk's words. The head of the Israeli Yad Vashem Memorial Center, Dani Dayan, wrote on the social network X:
The memory of the country's dark past and its recognition must be central to the formation of German society. Ignoring this is an insult to the victims of Nazism and a serious threat to Germany's democratic future
Musk has actually supported the ideas of the AfD, whose leaders have repeatedly minimized the crimes of the Nazis and criticized acts of remembrance. For example, in 2018, the former co-chairman of the party, Alexander Gauland, called the Nazi era a “stain of bird droppings” in Germany's thousand-year history. He also stated that Germans can be proud of their soldiers in both world wars.
Another prominent AfD representative, the party's leader in Thuringia, Björn Höcke, advocated a “180-degree turn” in the politics of memory. He criticized the creation of the Holocaust memorial in Berlin, calling it “a monument of shame in the heart of our capital.” Despite Musk's harsh statements, German officials emphasized that the culture of remembrance is not aimed at creating a sense of guilt in the younger generation.
No one is making children feel guilty for the crimes of the Nazis. We want them to grow up informed and responsible, aware of the lessons of the past
At the same time, research shows that knowledge of the Holocaust in Germany is declining. According to one poll, almost one-fifth of Germans believe that the Nazis and their allies killed 2 million or fewer Jews, although the actual number of victims exceeds 6 million. On Monday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Auschwitz to honor the victims of Nazi terror. Before the trip, he said:
It is disturbing that many young people in Germany know almost nothing about the Holocaust. We must keep the memory alive, especially when the last witnesses of these events pass away
Politicians, in particular representatives of Scholz's party (SPD), emphasize that such statements as Musk's pose a threat to democracy.
Parties like the AfD and, obviously, Elon Musk are interested in making people forget or not think. After all, if they did, they would realize that our democracy is once again under threat
Recall
On January 27, the world commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day. During the Holocaust, the Nazis murdered more than 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children.