CSU Laudator Regrets Honoring Publisher Over AfD Membership
A German publisher who received an award for cultural work and fighting antisemitism may lose it after a left-wing group revealed his AfD party membership.
Michael Genniges, a 75-year-old bookseller and publisher from Bamberg, received the silver medal of honor from the Upper Franconia district in May for his special contributions to cultural life and social dialogue in the region, according to Junge Freiheit. The award specifically recognized his engagement for understanding, dialogue, and his work against antisemitism.
The honor now stands to be revoked after the Alliance Against Right-Wing Extremism in the Nuremberg Metropolitan Region demanded its withdrawal upon learning that Genniges is an AfD member. His party affiliation was never concealed. Genniges served as the AfD parliamentary group chairman in the Bamberg district council until 2026.
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Henry Schramm, the CSU district president of Upper Franconia who not only voted for the honor but personally delivered the laudatory speech and presented the medal to Genniges at Thurnau Castle, now expresses remorse. Schramm stated that the district’s honors statute provides the possibility to revoke an already conferred award.
The original justification for the award noted that Genniges created a meeting point for literature, exchange, and encounter in Bamberg over decades. Through numerous readings and cultural events, he brought authors to Upper Franconia and enriched the literary life of the region. As chairman of the German-Israeli Society in Bamberg, he made important contributions to the fight against antisemitism.
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Schramm now says he deeply regrets that the matter has triggered such intense public debate and criticism. He pledged to question his voting behavior in a self-critical manner and to carefully review the award together with colleagues in the district council.
The district council will decide in July whether to revoke the honor as demanded by the antifa-linked pressure group. Schramm indicated the review will address the fundamental question of what standards should apply to future honors and awards.
The Upper Franconia district honors deserving individuals annually for their achievements benefiting the general public. The AfD’s application to honor publisher Genniges received a broad majority in the CSU-dominated district council in November 2025.
With information from Junge Freiheit
