As of: October 4th, 2023 9:04 a.m
A ceremony in the Elbphilharmonie on Tuesday was the highlight of the central celebrations Day of German unity formed in Hamburg. There was previously a church service in the Michel. A total of around 700,000 people came to the community festival in the city center.
The first speaker at the central ceremony in the Elbphilharmonie was the President of the Federal Council, Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD). He appealed to the community spirit of Germans in times of crisis. Only a strong, democratic Germany can take responsibility for a strong Europe that is committed to peace, democracy and human rights, he told around 1,300 guests. “The need of the hour is not populism and polarization, but community spirit and cooperation. We all bear responsibility for this.” And everyone should ask themselves “whether he or she can make a contribution to this.”
Tschentscher: “Take new paths, open horizons”
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In times of crises and upheaval, it is also important to recognize new opportunities, “to take new paths, to open horizons,” continued Tschentscher. “This requires openness, willingness to change and confidence.” The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, which has always been open to the world thanks to its port, could serve as an example. “Since Hamburg has never had an emperor, king or prince, the citizens have always taken their fate into their own hands,” said the mayor. “The fact that people act in solidarity with each other, get involved and get involved in the community, this potential, this strength exists all over Germany.”
In addition to Tschentscher, the President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Stephan Harbarth, gave a celebratory speech. In the face of problems and challenges in the world, he called for collective efforts and trust. “Trust means having the confidence to do something, but also having the courage to do something, daring and risking something, being courageous and able to endure unreasonable demands,” he said. In Germany, many things are good, some things are excellent, but some things can and must be improved in order to continue to exist in the future.
AUDIO: This was the ceremony for German Unity Day (2 min)
Fehrs: German unity is still a miracle
Numerous guests of honor took part in the service in the Michel, including Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
In the morning there was an ecumenical service in the main church of St. Michaelis. Around 1,000 invited guests gathered in the Michel. The service was based on the Bible verse “A river of living water”. In her sermon, Protestant Bishop Kirsten Fehrs drew parallels between German unity, the current political situation and a large container ship. There, many nations are literally in the same boat and only through solidarity and a clear course can one survive the journey. According to Fehrs, German unity was a miracle for her even after several decades, but it also demanded a lot from people.
Heße calls for reform of European asylum law
The Catholic Archbishop Stefan Heße placed the refugee situation at the center of his sermon. The Mediterranean is apparently the largest cemetery in the world, says Heße. He called for European asylum law to be reformed: “We need better refugee protection and a fair division of responsibility between all EU member states – in short: we need a humane and solidarity-based refugee policy.”
Climate researcher Mojib Latif also had his say. He used the service to make a fiery appeal: Time was running out, he said. The preservation of the planet can only be achieved as a collective project by all people. “There is no Planet B,” Latif said. He also called for a signal of departure for climate protection in cities. Cities have a special responsibility here, said Latif. This also applies to Hamburg.
AUDIO: Service for the Day of German Unity in Michel (1 min)
700,000 people attend the community festival in the city center
The unity celebration extended across large parts of the city center.
The celebrations started on Monday with a big community festival. According to Hamburg Tourism, more than 300,000 people came to the festival around the town hall and the Binnenalster on the first day. On Tuesday there were another 400,000. With around 400 clubs and institutions and a colorful program, the city presented itself as a diverse, cosmopolitan and future-oriented metropolis.
Around the town hall, visitors were able to find out about the constitutional bodies, for example. The Federal Government, Bundestag and Bundesrat as well as the Federal Constitutional Court presented themselves there. The police, fire brigade and armed forces were among those represented on the so-called blue light mile. Mönckebergstrasse became a state mile with information tents from the 15 other federal states. Music and entertainment were offered on the NDR Alster stage at Jungfernstieg.
Lahm gives the starting signal for the sale of EM tickets
The European Championship can come: Tournament director Philipp Lahm shot balls from the NDR stage into the audience.
A highlight for football fans: Tournament director Philipp Lahm gave the starting signal for the first phase of ticket sales for next year’s European Football Championship on Sunday afternoon. There are 1.2 million tickets available in the first round of advance sales. Ticket prices are staggered and range from 30 to 1,000 euros. Five European Championship games will take place in Hamburg. Lahm and tournament ambassador Célia Šašić As part of the event on the NDR stage, several balls were shot into the audience, which were associated with a direct right to purchase two European Championship tickets.
Hamburg hands over the baton to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
The unity celebration was the final and highlight of Hamburg’s Federal Council Presidency. In the afternoon, Tschentscher symbolically handed over the baton to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD). She will officially take over the position on November 1st. The next central unity celebration will take place in Schwerin at the beginning of October 2024.
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