German Far-Right Party Loses Mayoral Poll, 6 km From Former Nazi Camp

The prospect of a win for the far-right party was described as a "catastrophe" by the keepers of a nearby concentration camp memorial ahead of the ballot.

The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Sunday lost a tight mayoral race where the party had been tipped to secure the office of city mayor for the first time. 

The AfD's candidate Joerg Prophet was defeated by independent incumbent Kai Buchmann in a run-off vote that put the spotlight on the city of Nordhausen in the former East German state of Thuringia.

The prospect of a win for the far-right party was described as a "catastrophe" by the keepers of a nearby concentration camp memorial ahead of the ballot.