German Soldiers Pay Tribute to Lives Lost in Afghanistan

Großer Zapfenstreich taking place in Bonn, 2002 (Wikimedia Commons).

German leaders and members of the Bundeswehr (Germany’s army) gathered in Berlin on October 13 in honor of those who lost their lives during Germany’s Afghanistan campaign throughout the past two decades. Over the course of nearly 20 years, Germany lost 59 soldiers in Afghanistan.

Germany entered Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks under then-Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder’s prerogative. Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the current president of Germany, who served as Schroeder’s Chief of Staff and Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Foreign Minister for both of her terms, added, “There were doubts, and often harsh criticism, but there also were always good reasons why we stayed in Afghanistan. We are standing at a crossroads that forces us to consider self-critically our responsibility in the world, our possibilities and their limits.”

From early 2002 to August 26, more than 150,000 soldiers from Germany served in Afghanistan, a number of soldiers second only to the amount supplied by the United States. During the evacuation, Germany evacuated more than 5,300 people, including roughly 4,000 Afghans.

The ceremony began with wreath-laying at the Bundeswehr Memorial for those killed during their service in the Bundeswehr. The wreath-laying was followed by a march around the parade grounds of the German Defence Ministry, which concluded with a speech from Steinmeier. Merkel, who is expected to leave office in the coming weeks, was also present along with Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the Federal Minister of Defense.

"There is no doubt, no ifs and buts about one thing, dear soldiers: the Bundeswehr fulfilled its assignment. Our country is proud of you, " Steinmeier remarked. Looking to the future, he said,  "Germany deserves a security policy that draws lessons from 20 years of Afghanistan."

The official ceremony ended on Wednesday evening with a torchlight parade called the Großer Zapfenstreich, translated as the Grand Tattoo. Many photos of this event circulated online, with social media users questioning the historical background and relevance of this tradition. One Twitter user wondered whether this was 2021 or 1933, drawing upon Germany’s dark 20th-century military history. Some even drew comparisons to when the Nazis walked through the Brandenburg Gate with torches in 1933.

Politicians across the political spectrum defended the ceremony. "Ceremonial was absolutely appropriate in form, dignity & in the only right place [parliamentary army in front of parliament]," commented Free Democratic Party politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. The Green Party’s external expert Omid Nouripour called the ceremony "correct, dignified and moving."