Today is May 4
What does ‘never again’ truly mean when history continues to repeat itself and we choose to look away from contemporary injustice on the very days we commemorate the past?
Lines from the song Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind, the title of exhibition of the German artist Anselm Kiefer in the Netherlands, have been echoing in my mind since I visited in early April. Today, the line Wann wird man je versteh’n? resonates within me. Indeed, when will we ever learn?
The death of human empathy is one of the earliest and most telling signs of a culture about to fall into barbarism.
Hannah Arendt
As a peaceweaver, I have honoured on May 4, for many years now, all those who have died from violence, war and oppression, both long ago and today. I cannot and will not look away from the new deaths occurring elsewhere, often with the knowledge, approval or even support of the Dutch government. People are starving, dying and fleeing, or they are deemed not to exist in the eyes of others. How can we celebrate freedom here without thinking of them?
The Flame of Frith is an international, inclusive prayer group. We speak out for peace for we are peaceweavers. Our prayers are to preserve all life through dialogue and diplomacy. In late April, the Flame of Frith was once again present at the Ostara gathering of Eldaring at Burg Ludwigstein near the town of Witzenhausen in Germany. At the foot of the castle lies Kriegsgräberstätte Ludwigstein, a war cemetery. As we drive past on our way to the castle, we greet the ancestors buried there and promise to visit upon our departure. The ancestors are clearly present in the castle, and there is a strong connection with those in the war cemetery. It always feels as if the ancestors are watching me through this painting in the Meißner hall.
This year’s Flame of Frith ritual centred on raising funds for planting a tree. When we entered the space where we would perform the ritual, I was overwhelmed by a feeling of intense grief, despair and fear. These were ancestral spirits seeking attention. They too are deeply concerned about what is happening in the world and the renewed threat of large-scale war. We therefore concluded the ritual by singing the first verse of Sag mir, wo die Blumen sind.
When we visited the ancestors at Kriegsgräberstätte Ludwigstein we told them that we acknowledge their feelings and that there is ample space for them. We added that overwhelming us with grief, fear and despair does not help. We need them to fight alongside us for peace and freedom. This year, alongside a Flame of Peace cord, we also offered an LGBTQIA+ cord.
This and more will be on my minde during the two minutes of silence tonight at 8 o’clock.
May 4
The fourth of May, Remembrance Day in the Netherlands. In the lead-up to the 4th and 5th of May (Liberation Day), there is a great deal of focus on the Second World War and its horrors. Remembrance Day on 4 May was first held in 1946 to commemorate all Dutch victims of war. Jewish victims were officially included in the commemorations from 1966, and the Sinti and Roma only followed in 1995. LGBTQ+ people, who were also persecuted during the Second World War, received little attention for a long time. Only recently has there been growing recognition of this group, for instance through commemorations at the gay monument in Amsterdam.
Kriegsgräberstätte Ludwigstein
Kriegsgräberstätte Ludwigstein is a collective grave site for victims of the Second World War and the period shortly thereafter. It was inaugurated in 1961. A total of 294 individuals are buried here, including German Wehrmacht soldiers, prisoners of war, victims of the Gestapo, forced labourers, and so-called Displaced Persons. Many of them came from various districts in Northern Hesse and were reburied here to provide them with a dignified final resting place.
Burg Ludwigstein
Burg Ludwigstein was built in 1415 as a border fortress in Hesse. In 1920, the dilapidated castle was purchased by members of the German youth movement. It became a gathering place and a memorial to their comrades who had fallen in the First World War. In the 1930s, the National Socialists took over its administration; the castle was turned into a training centre for the Hitler Youth, and the original association was banned in 1941. After the war, the castle briefly served as a refugee camp, before being returned to the youth movement in 1946. Since then, it has once again been used as an educational centre and now houses the Archive of the German Youth Movement.
To raise young people’s awareness of history and the importance of remembrance, educational programmes are offered in collaboration with Jugendburg Ludwigstein. Kriegsgräberstätte Ludwigstein is thus not only a place of rest for the deceased, but also a site of remembrance, education, and reflection on a complex past. Burg Ludwigstein stands as a symbol of the intricate history of the German youth movement and the influence of political regimes on cultural institutions.