First veteran day in Schwerin: recognition for our heroes!

First veteran day in Schwerin: recognition for our heroes!

Schwerin, Deutschland - June 15, 2025 will remain a memorable day for many. On this day, Germany celebrated the national veteran day for the first time, which was launched on the decision of the Bundestag. The veteran day is said to honor the services and the use of active and former soldiers who have fought for peace, freedom and democracy. The focus is on recognition, not the hero worship, as Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasized. He makes it clear that the challenges for soldiers are not lower in times of increasing threats.

In Schwerin, veterans like Robert Hübner met, a main sergeant of the reserve that served in Mali to take part in the veteran march to take part in the Pfaffente pond. Hübner emphasized how important it is to honor the merits of former and active comrades. At the event, around 20 participants in civil and uniform were there, which underlined the great importance of this day.

celebrations and conversations

The march in Schwerin started and ended on the floating meadow and led through the city center, where similar events took place nationwide. Landtag President Birgit Hesse emphasized the enormous performance of the Bundeswehr in her speech and at the same time converted the veteran day into a day of the open state parliament, which should promote dialogue between citizens and veterans. This year the veteran day is viewed as a new symbol for the appreciation of the troop, which also confirmed military officer Henning Otte (CDU).

However, the event was not without controversy. Critics expressed concerns about a possible militarization trend in society and demonstrated during the veteran day at the old garden and at the Bertha-Klingberg-Platz. Wilfried Hoog, the organizer of the event, was concerned about these trends, while Lieutenant Colonel Ulrich Metzler emphasized that protests belong to the democratic discourse and that the veteran day should be considered the day of dialogue.

social debate

The veteran day was also viewed critically within the political landscape. The Left Party, led by Dietmar Bartsch, expressed concerns that too much focus is on the Bundeswehr members and that the necessary support for local workers would be neglected. Donata Vogtschmidt also called for better support for veterans and civil helpers from the left. The German Peace Society pleads to abolish the veteran day and to focus more on the recognition of civil helpers.

In the end, however, the veteran day shows that in Germany there is an awareness of the performance and challenges of veterans. The day could be a step in the right direction for more recognition and social appreciation of those who were in the service of their nation. A success will certainly also depend on the inclusion of all votes, as the Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Bundestag President Julia Klöckner highlighted in her statements.

The future will show how this discussion will develop and in which direction society and politics will move. However, one thing is certain: the appreciation of our veterans is an important aspect of our social coexistence.

For more information you can report the reports from Nordkurier , ZDF and dw