Van der Bellen urges more empathy at Berlin Volkstrauertag commemoration

In brief

• Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen called for more compassion during the Volkstrauertag commemoration in Berlin.
• He spoke in the Bundestag, warning against numbness caused by constant exposure to atrocities.
• German leaders, including Steinmeier and Klöckner, took part in a wreath-laying at the Neue Wache beforehand.

A call for compassion in remembrance

Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen told the Bundestag that compassion is the foundation of humanity (Gedenkstunde im Bundestag - Österreichs Bundespräsident van der Bellen warnt vor "Abstumpfung durch Algorithmen" - Appell zu mehr Mitgefühl im Alltag – Deutschlandfunk). Empathy gains value only when it becomes real and is tangibly felt by others. Reports say he warned that many people, feeling like defenceless consumers of atrocities, grow numb as a form of self-protection, and he pointed to the individual's ability to make a difference in everyday life (Volkstrauertag: Van der Bellen dringt am Volkstrauertag auf Empathie – ZEIT ONLINE).

Berlin ceremony

Before the Bundestag session, Van der Bellen laid a wreath at the Neue Wache in Berlin together with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and their spouses (Bundesweites Gedenken zum Volkstrauertag - auch im Bundestag – tagesschau.de). Bundestag President Julia Klöckner, Bundesrat President Hendrik Wüst and Constitutional Court President Stephan Harbarth also attended (Volkstrauertag - Politische Vertreter Deutschlands und Österreichs gedenken Opfern der Kriege im Bundestag – Deutschlandfunk). Chancellor Friedrich Merz was represented by Defence Minister Boris Pistorius.

Remembering individuals behind the numbers

The president of the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge, Wolfgang Schneiderhan, stressed the importance of commemorative days and sites, saying that large casualty figures can obscure the personal suffering of individuals. Van der Bellen said words and rituals cannot undo the past, but people can listen, stand by others and ensure the stories of victims are not forgotten.

Context of the day

Volkstrauertag is not a public holiday but an official day of remembrance, marked across Germany with wreath-laying, services and memorial events at cemeteries and memorial sites. Klöckner used the occasion to note that democracy is not self-evident and must be renewed in defence of fundamental rights and freedom, especially as war has returned to Europe (Volkstrauertag: Van der Bellen fordert bei Gedenkakt in Berlin mehr Mitgefühl – DER SPIEGEL).