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More than 50 galleries in Düsseldorf and Cologne signed a letter criticizing the local AfD faction for allegedly invoking Joseph Beuys and Heinrich Heine in promotions for a cultural-policy event. The AfD event is scheduled to include a city arts tour and a lecture by Bundestag member Matthias Helferich. Hyperallergic said it could not independently confirm that the party’s promotional material mentioned Beuys.
More than 50 galleries in Düsseldorf and Cologne have signed a letter condemning the Düsseldorf faction of Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) for allegedly invoking artist Joseph Beuys and poet Heinrich Heine to promote a cultural-policy event. The event, titled “Cultural Policy From the Right,” is scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf on Monday, October 26, with a walking tour of arts venues and a lecture by AfD Bundestag member Matthias Helferich. The allegation could not be independently confirmed by Hyperallergic.
The letter’s signatories object to what they describe as the AfD’s use of figures associated with the region’s cultural history. The report says the party’s Düsseldorf faction allegedly invoked Beuys and Heine in publicity for the event, but Hyperallergic said it contacted several signatories and could not independently confirm that the artists were mentioned on the AfD or AfD Düsseldorf websites. The supplied report does not identify other promotional materials that might establish the wording.
The event is described as having two parts: a walking tour of Düsseldorf arts and cultural venues, followed by a topical lecture from Matthias Helferich, an AfD member of the Bundestag. The galleries’ letter frames the dispute as a question about the city’s cultural identity and the values represented by its public cultural life. It says Düsseldorf is characterized by “openness, internationality, plurality, and the free exchange of diverse perspectives.”
Helferich has faced separate scrutiny over past statements and posts. According to the report, leaked chats showed him describing himself as “the friendly face of the Nazis” and saying he wanted to play the role of “democratic Freisler.” Helferich said those descriptions were parodies of his left-wing online critics. The AfD’s North Rhine-Westphalia branch temporarily expelled him in 2025; the expulsion was overturned in June 2026, according to the source.
A Dispute Over Cultural Ownership
The dispute is about more than which names appear in event publicity. Beuys is a major postwar artist, and the galleries’ objection signals concern that a political party is borrowing cultural figures to lend authority or local roots to its message. The letter argues for a city defined by pluralism and exchange, setting that understanding against the AfD’s anti-immigration politics.
For cultural institutions, the question has practical stakes: whether participation in or association with a political event could be read as endorsement, and how venues respond when political groups claim a place in local cultural history. The report does not establish that any gallery is hosting the AfD event or that Beuys himself had any connection to it. The significance lies in the public disagreement over representation, not in a verified claim about the artist’s involvement.
The episode also puts a spotlight on how political parties use cultural heritage in contemporary campaigning. The galleries’ statement presents open debate across differences as central to artistic life; critics of the party’s position may see its alleged references to Beuys and Heine as conflicting with that principle. Those are the signatories’ arguments, rather than independently established conclusions about the party’s intent.
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Helferich’s Record and the Event
The AfD is described in the source report as a far-right party whose platform includes remigration, a term it uses in connection with mass deportation of migrants. Helferich, elected to the Bundestag in 2021, has been among the party’s more radical members, according to the report. The source also says he was accused of dehumanizing immigrants after posting an Instagram story with a rear-view-mirror decoration and a phrase roughly translated as “get those creatures out,” alongside the hashtag #remigration.
The report connects that history to the current dispute because Helferich is the announced speaker at an event explicitly titled “Cultural Policy From the Right.” It does not report that he personally made the alleged references to Beuys or Heine, nor does it provide a full event program or a direct statement from him about the galleries’ letter. Those distinctions matter: the criticism targets the local party faction’s alleged promotion, while the confirmed event details identify Helferich as a speaker.
The source does not provide a year for the stated October 26 date. It reports that Helferich’s temporary expulsion from the AfD’s North Rhine-Westphalia branch was overturned in June 2026, but does not give further details about the process or the reasons for that decision.
““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 Promotional Material Shows
The central allegation—that the AfD invoked Beuys and Heine in event promotions—remains unverified in the source report. Hyperallergic said it could not independently confirm a reference to Beuys on the AfD or AfD Düsseldorf websites. The report does not quote the alleged promotional wording, provide screenshots, or establish whether the names appeared in other material.
It is also unclear whether the event will proceed as scheduled, which venues the walking tour will visit, and whether any cultural institutions are involved as hosts or partners. The source gives no response from the AfD faction to the galleries’ letter, and does not establish whether the party intended the alleged references as endorsement, provocation, or another form of political messaging.
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The October 26 Event and Response
The next reported milestone is the AfD event scheduled for Monday, October 26, featuring a Düsseldorf cultural-venue walking tour and a lecture by Helferich. The source does not state the year, so the date’s timing relative to publication cannot be determined from the material provided. A full program, event publicity, or statements from the organizers could clarify whether Beuys and Heine were named and how the party presented them.
Further reporting would also need to establish whether any galleries or venues were asked to participate, and whether the AfD or Helferich responds to the signatories’ criticism. Until then, the confirmed development is the galleries’ public letter and the event’s announced format; the alleged use of the artists’ names remains a claim attributed to the signatories.
cultural event promotional materials
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Key Questions
What are the galleries objecting to?
More than 50 galleries signed a letter criticizing the Düsseldorf AfD faction for allegedly invoking Joseph Beuys and Heinrich Heine in promotions for a cultural-policy event.
Did Hyperallergic confirm that the AfD mentioned Beuys?
No. Hyperallergic reported that it could not independently confirm a Beuys reference on the AfD or AfD Düsseldorf websites. The claim is attributed to the galleries’ criticism.
What is planned for the AfD event?
The event, titled “Cultural Policy From the Right,” is scheduled to include a walking tour of Düsseldorf arts and cultural venues and a lecture by Bundestag member Matthias Helferich.
Why is Helferich mentioned in the report?
He is the announced speaker. The report also describes earlier controversies involving leaked messages and an Instagram post, while noting his explanations and the later reversal of his temporary party expulsion.
What remains unknown?
The report does not establish exactly where or how Beuys and Heine were allegedly referenced, whether venues are involved in the event, or how the AfD faction has responded to the letter.
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