‘Germans Are Not Pacifists. They Are Realists’
We spoke with military sociologist Dr. Timo Graf about German attitudes towards the Bundeswehr, shifting security culture, and why Germany only now celebrated its second ‘Veterans Day’.
The sweltering heat in Berlin last Sunday didn’t seem to faze the hundreds of visitors at a festival in honour of Germany’s second annual Veteranentag (Veterans Day). Spread out at the foot of the Reichstag were rows of Bundeswehr organisations for active and former service members to meet with guests, answer questions, and -- for anyone interested -- talk about recruitment.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Defence Minister Boris Pistorius both took centre stage to thank them and emphasise the importance of their service at home and abroad.
When a small group of pacifist protesters interrupted Pistorius’ speech, he carried on: “A motto of the Bundeswehr is: we fight so that you can be against us.” The audience broke into applause.
Such public displays of military recognition remain unusual in postwar Germany. In countries such as the US or UK, veterans’ commemoration is embedded in public life; in Germany, respect for the Bundeswehr has often been more restrained and less visible.
That shift…