Amid accusations that the German far-right party the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) has provoked violence, which it denies, FRONTLINE investigates the overlapping rise of the AfD and far-right extremism in modern-day Germany.
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In the almost 80 years since the Holocaust ended, Germany has worked to overcome its Nazi history — prominently acknowledging Nazi crimes and memorializing victims, establishing strict laws about antisemitism and hate speech, and becoming a global leader in welcoming refugees.
But over the past decade, Germany has faced a rising wave of far-right violence. “Germany’s Enemy Within” probes extremist attacks and plots, from an attempted massacre of worshippers at a synagogue on Yom Kippur, to a mass shooting targeting Muslims, to the assassination of a pro-refugee politician, to an alleged plot to violently overthrow the German government. The documentary also examines the AfD’s rise, how anti-immigrant rhetoric has found a foothold in Germany, and how, if the AfD were to win power in the German state of Thuringia, it would be the first time a far-right party has controlled a German state since the Nazis.
“Germany’s Enemy Within” is a FRONTLINE Production with Mongoose Pictures in association with Evan Williams Productions. The correspondent, reporter, producer and director is Evan Williams. The senior producer is Dan Edge. The editor-in-chief and executive producer of FRONTLINE is Raney Aronson-Rath.
Explore related reporting on our website: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/documentary/germanys-enemy-within/
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FRONTLINE is produced at GBH in Boston and airs nationwide on PBS. Funding for FRONTLINE is provided through the support of PBS viewers and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen.
CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Prologue
04:35 – A Look Back at Germany’s Efforts To Overcome its Nazi History
07:54 – Far-Right Terror Attacks in Germany in Recent Years
17:08 – Why the AfD (Alternative für Deutschland) Party Was on the Radar of German Intelligence
26:45 – An Alleged Far-Right Plot To Overthrow the German Government
36:29 – Why Mass Demonstrations Against the AfD Party Broke Out in 2024 in Germany
52:16 – Why Some German Officials Are Concerned About Democracy in Their Country
55:19 – Credits
