On the day of national mourning, representatives of the city and associations laid wreaths at the war memorial in the Geretsried forest cemetery, accompanied by an important message.
Geretsried - In November we are particularly close to our dead. We commemorate them on All Saints' Day, on the day of the Reichspogromnacht, on Eternal Sunday. On the day of national mourning we remember the people who lost their lives through wars and tyranny, even if we usually do not know their story of suffering. On this occasion, representatives of the city and the associations laid wreaths in front of the war memorial on the Geretsried forest cemetery on Sunday afternoon. The victim had been commemorated in Gelting that morning.
About 60 visitors took part in the ceremony preceded by a drum march in Geretsried, which was musically accompanied by the Gartenberger bunker brass music and three gunshots from the cannon of the local reservist comradeship.
In view of wars and conflicts all over the world, the day of national mourning has lost none of its relevance, emphasized Mayor Michael Müller.
It should serve as a reminder not to forget the endangered good human dignity and peace.
At the same time, he should encourage each individual to be respectful and attentive to his fellow human beings.
Society lives in "negative peace"
Florian Völler, the district commissioner of the Volksbund Deutscher Kriegsgräberfürsorge, took up this in his speech and spoke of “positive peace” as opposed to “negative peace”. In his opinion, our society lives in the latter, characterized only by the absence of war. What is missing is social justice and solidarity. Völler cited the pandemic as an example. Unfortunately, there was sometimes hatred and agitation. They culminated in the sentence of corona deniers "vaccination makes you free", a modification of the lettering above the gate to the former concentration camp Auschwitz "work makes you free". The 37-year-old described such comparisons as “unspeakable”. Völler also called on people to commemorate the emergency services on Memorial Day who lost their lives in the service of others - firefighters, police officers,Paramedics and hospital workers.
Also read: The high price of peace: Interview with Florian Völler from the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge
Cornelia Irmer and Arno Bock appeared together in front of the microphone as representatives of the social association VdK.
They broke the meaning of peace down from world peace to peace between cities and communities, peace among neighbors and friends to peace in one's own home.
Ultimately, good togetherness can only succeed if you find peace in your own heart.
The two VdK representatives wished that to all those present.
Why God allows so much senseless violence, why he makes women widows and children orphans, why he forces people to leave their homeland, many asked themselves, said Pastor Andreas Vogelmeier from the Catholic city church.
Jesus' answer to their speechlessness and perplexity is: "I am with you every day until the end of the world".
The words from the Bible could give comfort in these November days, as they nourished the hope of resurrection.
"Therefore make an effort to be met by him without blemishes and faults and in peace," Vogelmeier quoted Peter.
Tanja Lühr
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