I always thought they were favored in east germany, given that east germany had a population exodus after the berlin wall, wih mostly the younger population moving west for the jobs while the older generations are clinging to east germany and still wish to rejoin the soviet union and re introduce soviet style socialism.
I was working (and of course living) in Germany at the time the Wall fell and before that too, much of my work taking me to the East, pre- and post reunification.
I can assure you that only a fairly small crowd longed for Soviet times (or socialism of whatever origin), most were glad to be rid of it all.
In addition one has to realize that the AfD didn't even come into being (even in its initial non-xenophobic, liberal right version) until 24 years after the Wall fell, by which time the (ex) GDR's older generation was largely retired (in pension) and the youngsters (in their twenties and thirties) had practically not even experienced the Soviet-backed GDR regime.
With things being grossly more complex (which issues aren't?), some of the rub lies in...................
Granted germany has done much to keep east germany going with moves like keeping and modernizing soviet factories to keep the east german economy going,
..............overall Germany (West) shut down more than it modernized, simply because GDR production was uncompetitive and, where it was not, such existing capacities would have added to a world market that already suffered vast over-capacities at that time. The lack of competitiveness was of course due to the East suddenly having to calculate in a hard currency (DM) and being henceforth bereft of subsidies that plan-based economy had offered in the past.
To cut a long story short, even taking into account its subsidised economy, the GDR did not cease due to having succumbed to any (Western) political ideology, it was simply stone broke already by the time its regime toppled and wouldn't have lasted another year. Most (former) East Germans are today aware of that but some still cling to fairy tales
however east germany still has plenty of it's population stuck in a soviet mindset,
no, see above.
and probably will for a while as an entire economic and political system is hard to just abandon no matter how bad it was.
again, look at previous reference to age groups, particularly to the 30 and 40 year olds (and younger) of today who never knew that system.
The afd simply appeals to this demographic, those who oppose immigration, those who want more authoritarian govt etc
the irony in this assessment lies in that authoritarianism is precisely what Merkel, her predecessors and the whole darn West is accused of by the perpetually discontented. Which, incidentally, are far from being representative of all that reside in the Eastern part of Germany. The AfD being nowhere near representing even a quarter of the overall "East German" votes.
You raise a valid point over younger people moving to the jobs in the West. They did so simply because the East could not supply them with work. There are areas in the East almost de-populated with only the elderly hanging on (more and sometimes less enjoying their retirement), despite all the money that was pumped into the East. But the results of such investment can be seen mostly in the cities, the barren land now even has some wolves living on it (extinct in Germany since the late 1800s).
It's a result of the planning economy having slapped industrial plants into the middle of rural communities, so as to provide work for the local yokels. Miles from any water way or any coast (transport access) and miles from any sensible source of raw materials. No wonder they were shut down, under "real" market conditions, they were economic monstrosities.
Joke I heard doing the rounds in the GDR: "the workers' collective of production of electronic devices proudly announces having just built the biggest (heart) pacemaker in the world. Brezhnev isn't truly fat, he's simply just had one implanted"
