How strong is democracy in Germany? | DW Documentary

‘Never again’ was the motto in Germany after 1945. This film shows how this commitment became a pillar of society. What measures are needed today to defend humanist values and preserve democratic achievements?

The film provides an insight into the challenges and hopes of remembrance culture work and examines how the motto ‘never again’ is evolving into an educational policy obligation in Germany.

With the end of the Second World War, two words became an integral part of democracy in the Federal Republic of Germany: ‘Never again’. Never again fascism, never again war, never again a dictatorship like National Socialism, in which minorities are persecuted, disenfranchised and murdered. This endeavor gave rise to a culture of remembrance, which manifested itself in the form of education in schools, memorials and days of remembrance.

But sometimes, it seems like the more frequently these words appear in official speeches, the more they lose their clarity and meaning. The discourse on a meaningful culture of remembrance is mainly conducted in academia, and often doesn’t consider the realities of life in society at large.

The documentary is an incisive and confrontational look at practical remembrance work. It shows what measures need to be taken to protect democracy and human rights in Germany. It focuses on the everyday lives of those who put the culture of remembrance into practice, and those who benefit from it.

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