Bundespräsident Frank‑Walter Steinmeier says that Germany’s democracy is now as threatened as it has not been for decades and urges citizens to defend it through “democratic patriotism”. In a guest article for the “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” the president writes that our way of life, freedom, and democracy are currently under threat from both domestic enemies of democracy and imperial powers abroad. “Affirmation of self is the order of the day” Steinmeier states. “For that we must know what is at stake and passionately stand up for the values that matter to us”.
Looking back at history can serve both as a warning and a source of courage. Steinmeier notes that Germany’s identity is rooted in the democratic and freedom struggles of centuries past and that it is possible to be proud of these traditions without ignoring the abyss of the Shoah. He reminds readers that democracy in Germany has often been assumed rather than taken for granted, yet “courageous men and women have always fought and struggled for it”. The date 18 March is highlighted as a symbol of this struggle: it marks the first proclamation of the republic in 1793, the March Revolution of 1848, and the first free Volkskammer election in the GDR. The past, he says, demonstrates what people can achieve with their commitment and what walls they can bring down.
According to the president, today’s Federal Republic is the Germany that “generations dreamed of”. “They have fought and suffered for it” Steinmeier writes. “We must never give up this Germany”. National pride and patriotism should not be left to extremists. Sovereign citizens who proudly uphold their democratic traditions and confidently claim their ideals constitute a strong constitutional safeguard.
This year, for the first time, Germany will observe the “Day of Democracy History” from March 18 to 22. More than 260 sites and institutions across the country will commemorate events and personalities through a variety of formats.