First Veterans Day in Berlin: celebrations, protests and traffic disruptions!

First Veterans Day in Berlin: celebrations, protests and traffic disruptions!

On June 15, 2025, the first National Veterans Day will be celebrated in Germany, a day dedicated to active and former soldiers. The central event takes place in Berlin in front of the Reichstag, opened by the President of the Bundestag, Julia Klöckner (CDU). In her speech, Klöckner emphasized the need to show veterans recognition and emphasized that service as a soldier does not end when you take off your uniform. In the future, Veterans Day will be celebrated annually on the weekend before or after June 15th, after it was decided by the Bundestag last year, as tagesschau.de reports.

Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) plays an important role on this day, recognizing the Bundeswehr as an integral part of society. He highlights the importance of soldiers who are willing to sacrifice their lives for the country. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius adds that the demands on soldiers are increasing due to the increased threat situation. He also announces that the Bundeswehr needs up to 60,000 additional soldiers to ensure the country's security and makes it clear that this day serves to honor the soldiers' achievements without drifting into hero worship, as zdf.de summarizes.

Traffic restrictions and protests

However, the first National Veterans Day is also associated with significant traffic restrictions in Berlin's government district. These are valid until 9 p.m. on the day of the event and affect, among other things, the area around the Bundestag and the navigation of the Spree between Jakob-Mierscheid-Steg and Marschallbrücke. As dw.com reports, several counter-demonstrations have been announced that want to draw attention to critical issues. A demonstration with around 700 participants will be held from Friedrichstrasse station to Marschallbrücke under the motto “We don’t celebrate your wars”. Activists from the group “Veterans Against War” have already put up posters in Berlin to draw attention to their concerns.

Thomas Röwekamp, ​​the chairman of the Defense Committee, also commented on the need for a broad social debate about general compulsory military service. He warns of the most challenging situation in terms of security policy in decades and emphasizes the importance of society's ability to defend itself. Representatives from the opposition, especially from the Left, also criticize that the support not only for active military members, but also for local staff who support the Bundeswehr, is not sufficiently recognized.

A patience game for veterans

Veterans Day also features personal stories of people who have fought for decades to serve the nation. Robert Müller, a veteran with over 20 years of service, has felt the challenge of getting military service injuries recognized. On the occasion of Veterans Day, he is running 350 kilometers from Hamburg to Berlin to draw attention to the concerns of veterans and to promote their appreciation in society, as zdf.de reports. He urgently asks the question of how long it will take for society to really take the needs of veterans seriously.

Overall, the first National Veterans Day shows that a new awareness of the needs of soldiers and their families is emerging in Germany. While official recognition is celebrated, critical discourse about the handling of military issues and their social significance remains open and necessary.