Munich police are investigating a death threat made against Charlotte Knobloch, a 93-year-old prominent Jewish community leader and Holocaust survivor. The threat, discovered scrawled on a park bench, reportedly references the recent electoral gains of the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.
Knobloch, who has publicly called for the AfD to be banned, canceled her attendance at a book launch scheduled for Thursday, the same day the threat was found. The content of the threat was not fully disclosed, but reports indicate it mentioned Knobloch, the AfD, and included a Star of David.
The AfD achieved significant results in recent state elections, winning 43.8% of the vote in Saxony-Anhalt. Despite this success, the party fell short of securing an outright majority in the state parliament.
Stephan Protschka, state chairman of the AfD’s Bavaria chapter, issued a statement condemning the threat. "I condemn the death threat against Charlotte Knobloch unequivocally and without reservation," Protschka stated. "Political disagreements or election results can never justify threats, intimidation, or violence against a person. This applies, of course, especially if such a threat is motivated by antisemitism." He added that the party takes the reference to the AfD's election success seriously and awaits the results of the authorities' investigation.
Ron Prosor, Israel's ambassador to Germany, also condemned the incident, noting the rise of antisemitism in Germany. "That a 93-year-old Holocaust survivor must witness Jews being beaten on the street, boycotted at universities and in the cultural sector, and the AfD growing stronger with its dangerous ideology, must be unbearable for her and for every Jew in Germany," Prosor wrote on X.
Ludwig Spaenle, the Bavarian State Government Commissioner for Jewish Life and Against Antisemitism, described the threat as having "crossed every line of decency." He emphasized the symbolic significance of threatening someone who has played a crucial role in Germany's post-Holocaust reintegration into the civilized world.
This incident brings renewed attention to Knobloch's past criticisms of the AfD. In a 2019 speech during a Holocaust commemoration, she stated that the AfD "bases its policy on hatred and exclusion." The AfD has faced criticism for its stance on immigration and for statements made by some supporters and leaders that have downplayed the Holocaust.
Knobloch, born in Munich, is recognized for her role in reviving Jewish life in the city. She was instrumental in establishing a Jewish community center and synagogue in 2006. During World War II, as a child, Knobloch went into hiding to survive the Holocaust, a period that profoundly shaped her life and advocacy.