Statement by Goethe University on the anniversary of the liberation from fascism
80 years after the end of the World War II, May 8th has a special significance as the anniversary of Germany’s liberation from National Socialism. The victory of the Allies put an end to the Nazi terror regime, the Shoah and the terrible war of extermination that Germany had begun with the invasion of its neighbors. Huge parts of Europe lay in ruins. This gave rise to a new consensus. Across all social classes, age groups and political camps, preserved for decades by social and political decision-makers, one principle endured: never again war, never again fascism.
With increasing distance from the events over several generations, memories are fading. There are hardly any contemporary witnesses of the war and the Holocaust who can still tell of their suffering. And the consensus of the post-war period is increasingly being called into question: The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, with its crimes against the civilian population and disregard for international law, is one of the most momentous current examples of this. But the current administration in the USA is also moving away from the post-war peace order, questioning national borders, principles of international law and even the foundations of democracy. And in Europe itself, after the end of the Nazi regime, parties with a right-wing extremist, racist and/or anti-Semitic electoral program are successful in almost all countries and in some cases participate in governments.
In view of its own eventful history, Goethe University is guided in its mission statement by the principles of democracy and the rule of law and opposes racism, nationalism and anti-Semitism. It acknowledges its social responsibility for research and teaching that serve peaceful, democratic development in Europe and the world. With that in mind, Goethe University sees May 8th as a perpetual reminder to actively stand up for peace, freedom and democracy and to resolutely defend itself against its enemies at home and abroad, to stand up against aggression, fascism, racism and anti-Semitism and to take a clear stance. It is our task as a university to contribute to maintaining this consensus and to fill remembrance with life. Together with new generations of students, it is important to critically question and reappraise the past and the lessons to be learned from it for our own actions in everyday life and later in professional contexts, in research, in teaching and in the transfer of knowledge to society. Now more than ever: Never again is now.
