Bundeswehr Day | "No advertising for killing and dying"

The Bundeswehr is supposed to be a hands-on army, if the military leadership has its way. To this end, propaganda is being massively ramped up. On June 15, National Veterans Day was held for the first time in numerous cities. Almost two weeks later, on Saturday, Bundeswehr Day followed, which has already been a tradition for eleven years. This year, interested parties were invited to barracks, military research facilities, and military airports at ten Bundeswehr locations across Germany. The events could also be followed via livestream.

"Soldiers present their vehicle fleet, equipment, and weapons, are available to answer all kinds of questions, and demonstrate their capabilities in live demonstrations. The new support unit also provides insights into its range of tasks at several locations: Both the men and women of the medical service and the logistics and transport forces demonstrate their skills," reads the advertisement on the Bundeswehr website . Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius made it clear in his short speech that this is not just about promoting acceptance of the troops. He also sees Bundeswehr Day as a way to recruit new recruits. After all, the Bundeswehr is trying to appeal to young people in particular with its supposedly secure career prospects.

But as in previous years, there were protests against Bundeswehr Day in 2025. "No advertising for killing and dying" was the slogan of anti-militarists who protested against Bundeswehr Day at the Cologne-Wahn air base, for example. The protests were initiated by the German Peace Society - United War Resisters NRW, the young GEW NRW, the state student council, and the organization "School without the Bundeswehr NRW." "A majority of young people are not prepared to serve in the Bundeswehr. The Bundeswehr and the federal government should accept this and stop the trivializing Bundeswehr advertising, as well as the plans for conscription," reads the call for the protest rally in front of the Cologne-Wahn air base.

There were also protests in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Lower Saxony – even lasting several days. Last Wednesday, an event with podcaster, journalist, and author Ole Nymoen kicked things off. At the packed Kleinbahnhof cultural center in Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Nymoen presented his much-discussed book "Why I Would Never Fight for My Country!" On Friday, around 250 people took part in a demonstration through the town against Bundeswehr Day. "The many passersby were very interested in our demonstration and gladly accepted our flyers," said a member of the preparatory committee.

The anti-militarist alliance also includes the Zimmerwald Committee, a group of left-wing anti-militarists. "The name refers to the meeting of war opponents from socialist parties of various European countries, which took place in the Swiss town of Zimmerwald from September 5 to 8, 1915, in the middle of the First World War," explains Maurice of the Zimmerwald Committee. "But we are not an association for preserving traditions. We want to analyze, network, and argue in the current situation," he emphasizes. He considers two questions to be central: "Why, more than 100 years later, do leftists just as easily adopt the positions of their governments in times of war? Why do people so easily go along with something that is clearly harmful to them? Clarifying this is one of our central concerns."