German prosecutors probe comedian Uwe Steimle over Merkel hanging, Stauffenberg remarks at AfD event

The remarks

On the evening of Tuesday, 14 July 2026, cabaret artist Uwe Steimle appeared on a panel at an AfD event in Dessau-Roßlau, where he directed a series of controversial remarks at two prominent CDU politicians. Referring to a new standing portrait of former Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin's Bode Museum, Steimle said she had chosen a standing image "because she suspects she'll soon be sitting." He then added: "For now, she's just hanging." If the nail were to break, he continued, "then we'll stand her against the wall. Well, we'll think of something." The comments were immediately interpreted by media and prosecutors as veiled threats beyond the painting.

Because she suspects she'll soon be sitting.

Steimle further turned to Chancellor Friedrich Merz, asking: "When I see Friedrich Merz, I sometimes ask myself, where is Stauffenberg when you really need him." Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg was the Wehrmacht colonel who led the failed 20 July 1944 bomb plot against Adolf Hitler and remains a national symbol of resistance.

Where is Stauffenberg when you really need him.

Investigation

The Dessau-Roßlau public prosecutor's office launched an investigation on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, under Section 126 of the German Criminal Code (Störung des öffentlichen Friedens durch Androhung von Straftaten, disturbing the public peace by threatening criminal acts). A spokesperson confirmed the proceedings to dpa, following initial reporting by Spiegel. The case will examine whether Steimle's remarks constitute a criminal threat.

Context and participants

The panel discussion was ostensibly about peace. AfD chairman Tino Chrupalla and the party's top candidate in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund, shared the stage with Steimle. At Steimle's initiative the evening began with the singing of the DDR national anthem and closed with the German national anthem. Chrupalla and Siegmund joined Steimle in singing both anthems. The evening's proceedings have drawn sharp criticism for the casual invocation of anti-Hitler conspirators in a political context.

What happens next

The investigation is at an early stage and no charges have been filed. Legal observers note that Section 126 requires a concrete threat capable of disturbing public peace, and Steimle's remarks will be weighed against the artistic freedom typically afforded to cabaret performers. The AfD has made no public statement distancing itself from Steimle's comments.