Portrait of AfD politician Maximilian Krah: “You see me on the front line”

Maximilian Krah is standing at the breakfast buffet of the Hilton Hotel at Gendarmenmarkt, waiting for his scrambled eggs. It's just after nine. He suggested the place and time for the meeting, but now he's taking a long time. Krah just smiles briefly in greeting from afar, sits down again, and calmly drinks his coffee.

A large international clientele is at the Hilton on this chilly day in late March. Barely a single glance follows the AfD man as he finally strolls through the lobby. Krah wears a pocket square in his light gray suit, purple suede loafers, and a watch from the Saxon luxury brand Glashütte Original. A small "MK" is embroidered into his cuffs – in light blue. A dandy on the go. No one seems to suspect that one of the country's most controversial politicians is strolling by.

The first photos are taken of him outside the German Cathedral. Krah explains that he met two school classes the night before on Pariser Platz. He was surrounded by teenagers! "That's the youth star bonus," he says. "Still tired?" the photographer asks him. "Your eyes are so red." Krah clears his throat and pushes his blond hair back from his forehead. No, no. It's just the air conditioning in the hotel.