The rise of the far right in Germany and how division remains a common theme

In the state of Brandenburg, voters on both the left and the right side of the political spectrum say they are fighting for the same thing: the Germany they grew up in.

In beautiful historic Potsdam on election day, warm rays of sun pirouette across the roofs and walls of the majestic buildings once home to Prussian royalty.

But in the sunshine, shadows of a far-right past emerge.

This is the same city where Germany was divided by the allies after the Second World War. Nearly 80 years later, division is still the theme of the day.

Traces of unrest are everywhere.

Slogans condemning the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) are plastered on stickers on the rail of a pedestrian bridge and scribbled in chalk on a bike path.

Red paint is splashed over AfD election posters. The message from leftist activists is clear: we don’t want you here.

As voters head to the polls for the Brandenburg state elections, a swelling protest against AfD greeted train users at the Potsdam Hauptbahnhof.

The rallies were organized by the Geradedenke Kollektiv, a coalition of self-described leftist groups.