AfD uses Simson mopeds for campaigns, sparking backlash from Jewish descendants

Members of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party are utilizing vintage Simson mopeds as campaign symbols to appeal to East German nostalgia. Candidates such as Ulrich Siegmund in Saxony-Anhalt and Björn Höcke in Thuringia have used these iconic two-wheelers, particularly the Schwalbe model, to connect with voters in rural areas and promote a sense of East German identity.

However, the use of the brand has drawn sharp criticism from the descendants of the company's founders. The Simson company was established in the 19th century by Jewish brothers Löb and Moses Simson, who were forced to flee Germany and abandon their assets due to Nazi persecution. Dennis Baum, a descendant living in New York, expressed that seeing the family name associated with the AfD is “an insult” to their history and memory.