This newsletter is dedicated to the upcoming memorable dates of May 8th and 9th.
Together with Demokrati-JA, the Deutsch-Belarussische Gesellschaft, the Deutsch-Russischer Austausch, the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum, Memorial Germany, Europäischer Austausch, the Deutsches Polen Institut, Prof. Dr. Aleida Assmann and other initiators we wrote a manifesto for "Remembrance against the war". We call for a responsible commemoration of the end of the Second World War in 1945, which should shape the activities around May 8th and 9th:
The Second World War, which ended in Europe on May 8th and 9th, 1945 with the surrender of Germany, began on September 1st, 1939 with the German invasion of Poland. Nazi Germany's racist war of extermination claimed more than 70 million lives. Those years and shared responsibility for the crimes of that time are being pushed aside by today's Russian, authoritarian government during the celebrations of the "Great Patriotic War" of 1941-1945. However the end of the war is called, Nazi Germany was fortunately defeated. However, the victory of the Soviet Union was not exclusively "Russian" as the Soviet army consisted of soldiers who belonged to different ethnic groups and came from all the constituent republics. Germany has a special historical responsibility, in particular because of its war of annihilation in Ukraine and Belarus. We demand a responsible discussion of the Second World War. This means condemning today's aggressive war by Russia against Ukraine!


Several events are planned at important places of remembrance in Berlin on May 8th and 9th, 2022.

At the Soviet War Memorial for the fallen Soviet soldiers in Berlin-Tiergarten, Demokrati-JA will organize a program of speeches, music, art and information stands as well as interactive workshops on both days, during which we will actively talk to people about the war in Ukraine. The DRA will show the exhibition "Wake up!/Wach auf!" with photographs of the war in Ukraine and the exhibition "Different Wars" by the EU-Russia Civil Society Forum shows how the Second World War is represented in national textbooks in Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Russia and presents multi-perspective teaching materials. On May 8th at 5 p.m., Anke Giesen will speak on behalf of Memorial on the culture of remembrance and the politics of history in Germany and Russia, and there will be readings of the memories of Butscha residents and Holocaust survivors from 1 p.m. to 3.30 p.m. Also on May 8 from 1.45 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. there will be a demonstration by the Gedenkbund at the Brandenburg Gate.

At the Soviet War Memorial in Treptower Park on May 9th from 9 a.m. we will actively address people on the war in Ukraine and debunk the myths of Russian propaganda as well as the problematic positions of the German left. Political initiatives, ambassadors and many guests are expected from early Monday morning. VVN-BDA and Postost Migrantifa are there to demand an end to the Russian war of aggression. At 11.00 a performance will take place.

On May 8th, the Alliance of Ukrainian Organizations, which also includes Vitsche Berlin, is organizing another "Lighthouse Ukraine - a day for humanity, cohesion and freedom" in Markthalle 9 in Kreuzberg for refugees, helpers and all those interested with campaign stands and keynote speeches. Ukrainian organization Vitsche will organize awareness spaces in Treptower Park and in Tiergarten.