Peace activists in Osnabrück: Renamed streets against militarization!

Peace activists in Osnabrück: Renamed streets against militarization!

Peace activists in Osnabrück are sending a strong message against militarization in politics and society. Under the motto “Peace instead of war logic” they carried out symbolic street renaming to draw attention to the dangers of war rhetoric and rearmament. Loud Bunny mail The initiators see a clear need for action: Militarization is not only taking place in factories, barracks and parliaments, but also “in the minds” of people. Terms such as “war capability” and political decisions, for example the Bundeswehr’s special fund of 100 billion euros, are criticized as normalizing a devastating “policy of destruction and death”.

The aim of the street renaming is to restart the debate about the social and political direction. The Fatherland Path in Widukindland was renamed Deserters Street to support those who refused to obey and those opposed to the war. The Kanonenweg in Schinkel is now called Kita-Plätze-Weg to advocate for necessary investments in social infrastructure. Another example is the renaming of Karmannstrasse to Am Zukunftswerk, while a decision on its takeover by the defense company Rheinmetall is imminent.

A look at the militarization of society

A deeper look at the militarization in Germany can also be seen in current defense policy. In February 2022, Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a “turning point” and announced a drastic increase in defense spending. These decisions are part of a change that is increasingly becoming a topic of public debate after years of austerity and critical examination of military structures. So said bpb, that after the 2014 Crimea invasion, when military spending continued to rise, Germany now spends $665 per capita on defense and ranks seventh in the world in military spending.

As part of these developments, the discussion about the reintroduction of military service is also becoming louder. Society is faced with a civil-military paradox: on the one hand, the military must be strong enough to ward off external threats, but on the other hand, it is important to avoid excessive power within the state. It can also be observed that the population's approval of the Bundeswehr has risen sharply since the Russian attack on Ukraine. Loud bpb 86% of citizens support a financial and personnel increase in the Bundeswehr in 2023, but without accepting cuts in education and health.

Social change through the military and civil society

The interactions between civil and military violence are a complex topic that is repeatedly examined in research. Studies show that the military, as an institutional factor, intervenes deeply in political culture. A research studio that took place at the HSU Hamburg in 2011 dealt with the long continuities of militarization from the founding of the empire to the present. It becomes clear here that the analysis of the army also makes a decisive contribution to understanding the dynamics in German society. Last but not least, the political and social aspects are also of corresponding importance, such as the platform DFH-UFA shows.

In times like these, when peace and war are becoming increasingly present in many discussions, dialogue about the content and direction of militarization remains crucial. The Osnabrück activists are making it clear with their actions: It is time to shape a fair, sustainable and peaceful world.