First National Veterans Day: Berlin honors our soldiers!

First National Veterans Day: Berlin honors our soldiers!

Today is June 15, 2025 and all of Germany is celebrating the first official Veterans Day, which is celebrated centrally around the Reichstag building in Berlin. Deutschlandfunk reports that the Bundestag created this important day of remembrance last year to honor the commitment and service of our soldiers. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius emphasizes the need to express gratitude and recognition for the women and men who ensure our country's security every day.

Veterans Day is supposed to be celebrated around June 15th every year. This was decided as part of a motion adopted by the SPD, CDU/CSU, Alliance 90/The Greens and FDP factions on April 25, 2024, while The Left abstained from voting. An important goal of this memorial day is to improve aftercare for soldiers, especially those who served on foreign missions, and to make their concerns more visible.

Goals and challenges

The Bundestag sees the introduction of this day as more than just an occasion for celebration: it is about honoring the heroic efforts of both active and former soldiers. In addition to recognition, access to counseling services should also be improved to ensure barrier-free support for all veterans. The measures include, among other things, reducing the processing times for inquiries to six months and examining an inpatient therapy facility for the Bundeswehr.

In this way, the aim is also to strengthen the German Hardship Foundation for veterans and their families. This illustrates the importance that the Bundestag attaches to this day of remembrance: Over ten million people have served in the Bundeswehr since it was founded, and many of them need special support, especially after stressful missions in over 50 countries.

A look into the past

The discussion about the introduction of a Veterans Day goes back to 2010, when the term “veteran” was controversial within military associations and political parties. As early as 2011, the then Federal Minister of Defense Thomas de Maizière planned his own policy for veterans and their care. Several proposals followed, but it was not until 2024 that June 15 was set as the fixed date for Veterans Day. The reason for this date is the awarding of the veteran badge, which took place for the first time on June 15, 2019.

The first celebrations took place last year, and Veterans Day was celebrated in June 2024 with a reception in the Bundestag and events in several German cities. The President of the Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, has taken over the patronage of the first national Veterans Day, and preparations are aimed at organizing large celebrations for the coming years in order to make the achievements and history of our soldiers even more visible.

Now, on June 15, 2025, the people of Berlin stand together to thank their soldiers and honor their stories. Even though the road there was rocky, the introduction of Veterans Day is an important sign of change in the perception and support of our comrades.