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Culture of remembrance in danger: Stralsund is fighting for donations for history!
The Volksbund is starting its autumn fundraising collection in Stralsund to commemorate war dead - support is urgently needed.
Culture of remembrance in danger: Stralsund is fighting for donations for history!
The traditional collection of donations begins in autumn for the German War Graves Commission, which was ceremoniously opened in Stralsund. The start of this important event made it clear that the financial resources are not sufficient to maintain the important work of remembrance. The Volksbund not only contributes to the care of war graves, but is also intensively involved in educational work about the two world wars - a total of around 67 million lives were lost, 17 million in the First World War and around 50 million in the Second World War. These are memories that need to be kept alive, as they are easily lost in social memory.
Mayors, volunteers and many prominent supporters were on site at the event. Together they marched through the streets with donation boxes to draw attention to the important work of the Volksbund. Volunteers and supporters spoke to passers-by and collected donations, which are urgently needed because the club's financial situation is tense. The willingness to donate has been stagnating for years, which has significant consequences for educational projects.
Financial bottlenecks and their consequences
The Volksbund currently has three permanent employees in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and around 60 volunteers. However, due to a lack of financial resources, many of the jobs are not secured in the long term and the contracts are often limited. What is tragic is that an education officer recently resigned from his position because he was promised a permanent position. Without this key position, the Volksbund can no longer carry out educational work in schools. The reduced workshops on historical education are becoming a challenge as new restrictions continue to arise.
A workforce reduction of up to 30 percent over the next five years has been announced. This situation is already causing frustration among volunteers, who are not only struggling with their own tasks, but are also feeling the additional burden of staff shortages. In contrast, other federal states receive partial support for their education officers from regional or budgetary resources, which increases inequality.
Hope for a shared future
On the other hand, there are also positive signs: young people from seven different countries are planning to send a strong signal for peace and remembrance in Rostock and Kühlungsborn. This initiative shows how important it is to include younger generations in the work of remembrance and to allow them to actively help shape it.
This makes it clear that despite all the challenges, there is still hope for a viable solution for the Volksbund and its work. Because remembering is not only important—it is also necessary to keep the lessons of the past alive for future generations.
At a time when remembrance work is coming under increasing pressure, support from the population is crucial. The street campaign in Stralsund is an impressive example of how community and commitment can ultimately make the difference.