No place for Nazis! - Programme for the Chemnitz Peace Day
Appeal for 5 March - Wreath-laying ceremony at 9 a.m. at the municipal cemetery - Peace images at Neumarkt - 1.30 p.m. tour of the perpetrators' traces - 4 p.m. kick-off rally at Chemnitz main station - 5 p.m. start of the peace routes - 6 p.m. rally at Neumarkt
On 5 March, citizens will once again show their support for democracy, tolerance, peaceful coexistence and openness to the world, against hatred and neo-fascism. A broad alliance from politics, culture and sport has prepared a diverse programme for the Chemnitz Peace Day.
"Chemnitz is a cosmopolitan, diverse and interesting city. 120 different nationalities now live here. Every seventh student at the Technical University is of foreign origin. They enrich city life with their culture and language," says Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig. "Regardless of their origin, biography, cultural and religious background - we welcome all people to our city. There is no place for intolerance, discrimination and racism in Chemnitz. Citizens make this clear every year on 5 March - Chemnitz Peace Day. Thousands declare their support for peace and democracy against right-wing extremism and hatred. I am proud of this and grateful for it."
A broad alliance of various city council groups, the Lord Mayor, representatives from business, trade unions, culture, sport, science, churches, the Jewish community, initiatives, associations and civil society players are once again calling on citizens to take part in Chemnitz Peace Day this year: "In Chemnitz, 5 March is a day of remembrance of the devastating bombing of our city 69 years ago. But it is also a day of resistance against the falsification of history by right-wing extremist groups, who will also try to take their inhuman ideology to the streets on 5 March. Neither history nor the streets should be left to those who stand for racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. The signatories call on all citizens of our city to stand up for democracy, tolerance, peaceful coexistence and openness to the world, against hatred, neo-fascism and xenophobia."
Programme for the Chemnitz Peace Day (extract):
The Peace Prize will be awarded the evening before, 4 March at 5 pm in the town hall. On 5 March at 9 am, the traditional wreath-laying ceremony will take place at the memorial to the victims of the bombing at the municipal cemetery. Mayor Barbara Ludwig will join Chemnitz residents in commemorating the destruction of the city and the victims of the bombings as a consequence of the Second World War, which started in Germany.
The meeting point is at the entrance to the cemetery on the corner of Augsburger Straße and Grünband.
The peace pictures, designed by Chemnitz schoolchildren, will once again be on display on Neumarkt throughout the day. As every year, Aktion C has been able to inspire over 40 schools and day-care centres to create several hundred metres of colourful paintings for Peace Day. The walk-through peace cross will be open from 11am.
Sabine Kühnrich from the Chemnitz Peace Day working group on the significance of the Chemnitz Peace Day: "When the neo-Nazis take to the streets again on 5 March with their history-distorting slogans, we must not remain silent. The Neumarkt, the city centre ring road and many other streets and squares will be occupied by Chemnitz residents who stand up for democracy, cosmopolitanism, against neo-fascism and xenophobia." Together with representatives from the church, the arts and academia, she has been actively campaigning for the Chemnitz Peace Day for twelve years.
A tour of the city, which commemorates the sites of National Socialist crimes, will take place from 1.30 pm. The tour, organised by the alliance "Chemnitz Nazifrei", is intended to remind people of events here in the city. The tour will start at Falkeplatz with the Deutsche Bank. With stops including Stele Reichsstraße, Gestapo headquarters on Kaßbergstraße 22a, the police headquarters until 1945 on Hartmannstraße 24, the tour ends in the inner courtyard of Chemnitz University of Technology on Straße der Nationen.
The alliance "Chemnitz Nazifrei" is calling for a kick-off rally at Chemnitz main railway station from 4 pm. At the same time, the student council of the Technical University is calling on students to show their support for tolerance in front of the Neue Mensa, Reichenhainer Straße.
From 5 p.m., five churches in Chemnitz will lead peace routes in the form of a star march to the Peace Cross on Neumarkt. The starting points are the Friedenskirche, the Propsteikirche, the Kreuzkirche, St Peter's Church and St Mark's Church. The people of Chemnitz will symbolise peace and democracy with a candle. The goal is the walkable peace cross.
A large central rally will be organised by numerous participants at 6 p.m. on Neumarkt square. After a welcoming address by Lord Mayor Barbara Ludwig, the General Director of Chemnitz Municipal Theatre, Dr Christoph Dittrich, will give a speech. Dr Sadik Al Biladi will then speak about the global refugee problem and the consequences for our society. The doctor from Iraq has lived in Chemnitz for many years and is the winner of the Chemnitz Peace Prize 2009. The central rally will be accompanied by members of the Chemnitz Municipal Theatre ensemble, the Theatre Youth Club, the "Schir Semer" choir of the Chemnitz Jewish Community and the Chemnitz Music School.
At 8 p.m. there will be a service in the Jakobikirche and at 9 p.m. there will be the traditional ringing of bells in the city.
The City of Chemnitz will publish information with an overview of the traffic regulations on this day and restrictions at day-care centres and schools in good time.
Further information can be found at
www.chemnitz.de
www.chemnitzer-friedenstag.org
www.chemnitz-nazifrei.de
www.stura.tu-chemnitz.de
Voices on the Chemnitz Peace Day:
Hubert Gintschel, city councillor, DIE LINKE parliamentary group: Resistance is our right and our duty arising from the consequences of German fascism. DIE LINKE" will always follow this maxim by Heinrich Böll. That is why we will join thousands of Chemnitz residents in opposing the new right.
Dr Heidi Becherer, city councillor for the SPD parliamentary group: " For several years now, there has been a tradition of a wide range of activities on 5 March to commemorate the 1945 bombing and against neo-Nazi marches in Chemnitz. This must be continued in 2014. We call on all Chemnitz residents - young and old - to actively shape 5 March 2014 as a day of remembrance. As citizens of a democratic state, we respect the right to freedom of expression. This is precisely why we must oppose those who want to trample on and eliminate human rights. In addition to consciously confronting history and recognising our own individual responsibility in the present, on this day in particular we send out a visible signal in favour of tolerance, diverse and peaceful coexistence and cosmopolitanism. I am convinced that 5 March in Chemnitz in particular is one of the many days of the year on which we should take the step from remembrance to active action against neo-Nazis.
Christian Kempe, city councillor, CDU parliamentary group: " I can still remember the bombing of the city from personal experience. Something like that must not happen again, even after almost 70 years. In the present and in the future, this kind of ideology must not be allowed to spread.
Dr Dieter Füsslein, City Councillor, FDP Group: History must not be allowed to repeat itself! That is why we want to commemorate it together on 5 March, learn personal lessons and pass them on to the younger generation. Back then, our city lay in ruins. Today it is in full bloom and we must not allow populist prejudices and radical opinions to poison the climate of peace in the European unification process. This led to the Second World War in 1939 and caused the First exactly 100 years ago.
Petra Zais, city councillor for the Alliance 90/The Greens parliamentary group: "Old and new Nazis are misusing 5 March to falsify history and stir up a climate of hatred and intolerance. We want to oppose this and, like many thousands of Chemnitz residents, stand up for peaceful remembrance that includes remembering the causes of war and destruction. For me, active remembrance also means respecting the human dignity of refugees and not closing our eyes to the difficult fate of many asylum seekers.
Dr Christoph Dittrich, General Director of Chemnitz Municipal Theatre: " The destruction of a city is a terrible trauma. But above all, we have to face up to our historical responsibility and are therefore obliged to actively stand up for peace, humanity and tolerance today. The joint appearance of all democratically-minded people on Peace Day reflects this responsibility. Theatre and art are always bearers of humane values, which is why my staff and I take an active part in Peace Day to heart.
Gerald Richter, representative of Initiative C: The motto "It's our city, colourful, cosmopolitan and tolerant" was also expressed in the schools and their paintings. One painting, for example, bears the name: "Look outside the box". When we think outside the box, we realise that we are doing well. And not everyone is doing so well. We have to be open to the problems that exist elsewhere.
Christoph Magirius, retired pastor and honorary citizen of the city: The biblical phrase "swords into ploughshares" is as relevant as ever.
Maximilian Schneider, representative of the Chemnitz University of Technology Student Council: " The university is a place of cosmopolitanism and tolerance. There are also many foreign students enrolled at the TU. This is not the only reason why we think it is important that the Nazi march and inhuman attitudes are resolutely opposed. We do not want to give historical revisionism and racism any space on this day
.
Matthias Jobke, representative of the "Chemnitz Nazifrei" alliance: We want to block the Nazi march again this year and show that right-wing ideas and racism have no place in Chemnitz.
Tobias Berndt, representative of Netzwerk für Kultur- und Jugendarbeit e.V.: We want to help ensure that many people are on the streets in Chemnitz on 5 March. To this end, we are producing mobilisation clips to help motivate people to come to the city on 5 March. To this end, we are also working with artists, for example the band "Die Arbeitslosen Bauarbeiter", who will be performing live at the alliance demo.