Professor James D. Bindenagel opens his op-ed with his family history. His father fought against Nazi Germany in the U.S. Army in 1945 and took part in the liberation of a concentration camp. Bindenagel himself worked for many years at the U.S. Embassy in Germany, where he negotiated agreements regarding compensation for forced laborers and the restitution of looted art. Precisely because of his decades-long efforts to litigate the crimes of World War II, he views the rise of the AfD with great concern. Historically charged election campaigns, such as the one in Saxony-Anhalt, show that the AfD seeks to put an end to Germany’s culture of remembrance—which Bindenagel commends as a successful chapter in the history of German democracy.
James D. Bindenagel in the FAZ on the AfD, looted art, and German culture of remembrance James D. Bindenagel in the FAZ on the AfD, looted art, and German culture of remembrance
In an op-ed published in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on September 4, 2026, CASSIS Fellow James D. Bindenagel traces the history of Germany’s handling of looted art from the Nazi era and praises the restitution efforts of recent years as one of the success stories of German remembrance culture. Nevertheless, owing to recent election successes, he warns that the AfD is calling this culture of remembrance into question and is seriously jeopardizing further efforts to restitute looted art.
Professor James D. Bindenagel
© CASSIS
Download all images in original size
The impression in connection with the service is free, while the image specified author is mentioned.
You can find the full article here.
Prof. James D. Bindenagel is professor emeritus at the Henry Kissinger Chair for Security and Strategy research at the University of Bonn. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS).