German far-right mayoral candidate thwarted in election near former Nazi camp

German far-right mayoral candidate thwarted in election near former Nazi camp

The mayoral candidate of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) lost to an independent candidate in a tight race for the office of mayor in Nordhausen in the former East German state of Thuringia.

Joerg Prophet, the AfD’s candidate, was tipped to win the run-off vote even though, like many members of the far-right party, he has been accused of extremism and historical revisionism.

The city of Nordhausen is also home to the former Nazi labour camp Mittelbau-Dora, a subcamp of the notorious Buchenwald, and today a memorial site.