Stories from Magdeburg · Germany

Hertha BSC lost 0-1 away against 1. FC Magdeburg in the second football Bundesliga on Thursday evening. The loss follows a previous 3-1 victory. The Berlin-based club is no longer competing for promotion.

The AfD party in Saxony-Anhalt has passed a resolution at a party congress stating 'Hands off our children,' in response to incidents in Schleife.

Approximately 100 people protested in front of a cultural center in Magdeburg regarding various issues including agriculture and peace policy. The demonstration occurred during a politically charged event.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a town hall meeting in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of upcoming state elections. The event included registered protests from both left-wing and right-wing groups.

The CDU is scheduled to host a political dialogue in Sachsen-Anhalt following a similar event held by the AfD two weeks ago. Minister President Sven Schulze stated that political tensions are expected to increase. The event occurs ahead of the September 6 election day.

Magdeburger defeated the Hungarian club Pick Segged with a score of 35 to 28 in their quarterfinal first-leg match. The victory was reported by Thomas Kunze. Gisli, Christianzern, and Albin Lagerren each scored seven goals to lead SC Magdeburg to a 35-28 away victory.

The AfD party has included the UNESCO World Heritage site Bauhaus in its election program, describing the architectural school as rootless and anti-tradition. The party claims the Bauhaus lacks local roots and is too hostile to tradition.

The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party plans to radically restructure cultural policy in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt if they win the upcoming elections in September. Begrig described some perceptions of these buildings as cold and inhumane. Sixty-seven cultural institutions in Sachsen-Anhalt issued a protest letter warning against the AfD's influence. The institutions expressed concern that the party seeks to use culture as an instrument for a nationalist narrative. According to Begrich, the party aims to shift the social climate away from democracy, tolerance, and diversity toward a völkisch-nationalist society. The letter warns of a move away from a differentiated historical perspective. Julian Chava, the General Director of the Theater Magdeburg, stated that the scale of the declaration from so many institutions would likely not have occurred six or twelve months ago.

Sixty-seven cultural institutions in Saxony-Anhalt have joined an initiative opposing a nationalist-oriented culture policy announced by the AfD party. These foundations, museums, and associations released a statement against the proposed patriotic culture policy. The Kulturstiftung Sachsen-Anhalt issued a statement opposing the instrumentalization of history and culture for nationalist purposes. The organization said that freedom of art, cultural diversity, and a democratic culture of remembrance remain essential. This appeal was originally released two weeks ago and has generated media coverage. In Magdeburg, artists are addressing current crises through a new exhibition. Critics stated that the policy would turn the region into a cultural desert for contemporary visual arts. The policy is being compared to the cultural landscape in Hungary under Viktor Orban.

Officials in Saxony-Anhalt are meeting to discuss ways to reconcile the state budget with spending cuts. The state parliament is scheduled to vote on the budget draft at the end of June. Authorities may need to take on debt to manage the budget requirements. Ministerpräsident Sven Schulze of the CDU stated that the supplier industry in Saxony-Anhalt faces challenges due to global crises and a shift toward immobility. Schulze noted that the current workforce of approximately 25,000 jobs is unlikely to be maintained in the coming years. He said the necessity of fighting for every individual job despite these industry changes. Minister Christian Piwarz stated that original budget figures of 4.6 billion euros were reduced due to additional ministry requests prior to the session. Officials are now debating the distribution of remaining costs, potential cuts, and new debt.