Active and former soldiers of Germany’s armed forces will for the first time be honoured for their service with a full-fledged Veterans Day on Sunday.
The central event will take place in Berlin around the Reichstag parliament building under the patronage of its president Julia Klöckner, as lawmakers decided a year ago.
Defence Minister Boris Pistorius will also join soldiers and members of the public for the occasion, which will be celebrated in many cities and Bundeswehr bases throughout Germany.
Although the June 15 date was formally instituted one year ago, this Sunday will be the first large-scale edition.
“The Bundeswehr is an integral part of our society. The women and men who serve or have served in it deserve our thanks, our recognition, and our respect. This service to our country belongs at the heart of our society,” wrote Chancellor Friedrich Merz on X.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, more attention has been paid to the military in Germany, setting aside some of the stigma associated with the country’s involvement in the two World Wars.
There is also fresh perspective on Germany’s participation in NATO and UN missions for the past 25 years, including in Afghanistan, where 59 members of the Bundeswehr lost their lives between 2001 and 2021.
After years of discussions about who should be considered a veteran, Germany chose the broadest possible term.
Almost all current and former soldiers of the Bundeswehr – the Federal Republic of Germany’s armed forces since 1955 – are now considered to be veterans, as long as they retired from service with honour.
Around 10 million Germans have done military service or were professional or regular soldiers. Around 500,000 men and women were deployed in Afghanistan, Mali or Bosnia-Herzegovina among other places.
“Our veterans have earned the support, recognition and respect of us all,” said Klöckner ahead of the occasion.