Recently, Alexander Gauland has been tearing up the political landscape in Germany by pulling the right-wing camp behind him. But it would be a mistake to get the impression that he only found his way into politics in his twilight years. For decades, he served the very system he is fighting against today. In fact, it was only through his previous experience in politics, administration, and media that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) became a political movement party and a challenge to democracy. Olaf Sundermeyer sheds light on the past life of this AfD leader and shows how Gauland is making very conscious and strategic moves towards seizing power.