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More than 50 galleries in Düsseldorf and Cologne signed a letter condemning the local Alternative for Germany branch over its alleged invocation of artist Joseph Beuys and poet Heinrich Heine in promoting a cultural policy event. The event is scheduled for October 26 and includes a city arts walk and a talk by AfD lawmaker Matthias Helferich. The report says it could not independently verify the alleged references on party websites.
More than 50 galleries in Düsseldorf and Cologne have signed a letter condemning the local Alternative for Germany (AfD) branch for allegedly invoking artist Joseph Beuys and poet Heinrich Heine in promotional material for an upcoming cultural policy event. The event, titled “Cultural Policy From the Right,” is scheduled for October 26 in Düsseldorf and is due to include a city arts walk and a talk by AfD Bundestag member Matthias Helferich.
The letter’s signatories object to the party’s reported use of two figures associated with German cultural history. The report says the galleries described Düsseldorf’s cultural identity as rooted in openness, internationality and plurality, and argued that art depends on dialogue across differences. Their criticism frames the dispute as more than a disagreement over event publicity: it concerns who can invoke cultural figures and what values are attached to them.
The event is set to begin with a walking tour of arts and cultural venues, followed by Helferich’s talk on cultural policy. Hyperallergic reported that it contacted several signatories but could not independently confirm a reference to Beuys on the AfD or Düsseldorf AfD websites. The alleged references therefore remain attributed to the galleries’ concern rather than independently verified through the party’s online material.
Helferich is a member of the Bundestag and has been described in the report as one of the AfD’s more radical members. He was temporarily expelled from the party’s North Rhine-Westphalia branch in 2025 after leaked chats showed him using the phrases “the friendly face of the Nazis” and “democratic Freisler.” He said the descriptions were parodies of his left-wing online critics. The expulsion was overturned in June 2026, according to the report.
A Dispute Over Cultural Ownership
The controversy puts a local cultural event at the intersection of political messaging and artistic legacy. Beuys, a postwar artist and political activist, is the figure at the center of the alleged reference; the galleries’ response signals that cultural institutions in the region reject the AfD’s framing of Düsseldorf’s cultural identity. The letter also makes the dispute public before the scheduled event, rather than leaving it as an internal debate among arts organizations.
For readers, the issue is not simply whether a politician may discuss an artist. The immediate question is whether the party’s promotional material used Beuys and Heine in a way that the galleries regard as inconsistent with the city’s pluralist cultural life. The available reporting does not establish the exact wording or presentation of those references, so conclusions about the party’s intent would go beyond what is confirmed.
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Helferich’s Party Disciplinary History
The dispute comes amid scrutiny of Helferich’s past statements and conduct. In leaked chats cited by the report, he described himself as “the friendly face of the Nazis” and referred to playing “democratic Freisler,” invoking a Nazi-era judge known for abusive proceedings and death sentences. Helferich said these remarks were parodies of criticism from left-wing opponents. The report also says he faced accusations of dehumanizing immigrants after posting an Instagram story with a car ornament and wording roughly translated as “get those creatures out,” alongside the hashtag #remigration.
His temporary party expulsion in 2025 was overturned in June 2026. That history helps explain why the galleries’ objection to the event has drawn attention, but it does not by itself verify what the AfD’s promotional material said about Beuys or Heine. The event’s stated subject is cultural policy, and the planned program combines a tour of cultural venues with a speech by a party politician.
““Düsseldorf is a city whose cultural identity is characterized by openness, internationality, plurality, and the free exchange of diverse perspectives.””
— The galleries’ co-signed letter
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What the Promotion Actually Said
The report does not reproduce the AfD’s promotional material or independently verify a Beuys reference on the party’s websites. It also does not specify precisely how Heinrich Heine was invoked, or whether the references appeared in online posts, printed material or another form of publicity. The exact wording, context and intended meaning are therefore unresolved in the source material.
It is also not clear whether the event will proceed as scheduled, whether the party will respond to the letter, or whether any changes will be made to its promotion or program. The galleries’ objections are documented, but the report does not provide a response from the Düsseldorf AfD branch.
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October 26 Event and Responses
The next scheduled development is the AfD event in Düsseldorf on October 26, with a walking tour of cultural venues followed by Helferich’s talk. Further reporting could establish whether the event takes place as planned and clarify how Beuys or Heine were presented in the party’s publicity.
A response from the Düsseldorf AfD branch, or publication of the material at issue, would help establish the basis for the galleries’ criticism. Until then, the confirmed development is the signatories’ public condemnation and the event’s announced program; the alleged references remain unverified in the report.
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Key Questions
What prompted the galleries’ letter?
More than 50 galleries condemned the Düsseldorf AfD branch over its alleged references to Joseph Beuys and Heinrich Heine in promotion for an upcoming cultural policy event.
What is the AfD event?
“Cultural Policy From the Right” is scheduled for October 26 in Düsseldorf. Its announced program includes a walking tour of arts and cultural venues and a talk by Bundestag member Matthias Helferich.
Has the alleged Beuys reference been independently verified?
No. Hyperallergic reported that it could not independently confirm a Beuys reference on the AfD or Düsseldorf AfD websites. The exact wording and context remain unclear.
Who is Matthias Helferich?
Helferich is an AfD member of the Bundestag. The report notes that he was temporarily expelled from the party’s North Rhine-Westphalia branch in 2025 after leaked messages, said to be parodies of his critics, and that the expulsion was overturned in June 2026.
Source: rss
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