Dispute over a multi-million dollar inheritance: The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party allegedly transferred 107 kilograms of gold to Liechtenstein
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is facing a growing scandal related to an inheritance worth millions of euros, following reports that the party apparently transferred 107 kilograms of gold abroad. This gold, which was part of an inheritance of nearly ten million euros received by the party in 2019, was reportedly transferred to Liechtenstein, raising questions about transparency and legality. At the same time, relatives of the deceased are contesting the will, which intensifies the legal dispute.
The inheritance came from Rainer Strangfeld, a 79-year-old inventor from Bockburg in Lower Saxony, who ended his life by suicide in 2018. He left nearly ten million euros in cash and assets, including gold bars and coins. With current gold prices, the value of the 107 kilograms of gold is estimated to be around 11 million euros. At that time, this was the largest single donation reported by any political party in Germany.
According to Spiegel magazine, financial investigators from several European countries have tracked the movement of gold. Records indicate that the AfD party transferred the precious metal to a storage facility in Liechtenstein in May 2022. Although transferring assets abroad is not illegal if properly declared, questions have begun to arise because the party's official reports apparently did not mention that the gold was moved outside Germany and the European Union.
The Bundestag administration, responsible for monitoring the financial affairs of parties, stated that it has no information regarding the specific financial investments of the party. Meanwhile, the party's treasurer, Carsten Höfer, confirmed that AfD has nothing to hide, emphasizing that all assets are transparently listed in official reports. So far, the party has declined to comment on whether the transfer of gold is related to concerns about a potential ban on the party or the legal dispute over the inheritance.
At the same time, the Bokburg court ordered a post-mortem psychological evaluation to determine whether Schterangfield was capable of writing a will when he appointed AfD as his sole heir. A law firm assigned to the case identified 14 potential heirs. One of them, a second cousin, filed a petition with the court to prevent the party from accessing the gold until the dispute over the inheritance certificate is resolved. Relatives fear that transferring the gold outside the EU will make it harder to secure their rights. However, the party rejected these efforts, arguing that the claims about Schterangfield's incompetence have not yet been proven.