Brandenburg's Minister for Social Cohesion, René Wilke, has praised the black, red and gold German flag as an important symbol of democracy and opposed its appropriation by right-wing extremists. Interior Minister Jan Redmann had previously sparked a debate because he ordered permanent flags to be displayed on five buildings from October 3rd - Unity Day. Other ministries have not yet followed suit.
“Symbol of the Peaceful Revolution”
When asked, SPD Minister Wilke said: “We do not base our flags on the actions of right-wing extremists. Our flag doesn’t belong to them either.” The black, red and gold flag is rather an important symbol of Germany's history of democracy and the aversion to small states. Last but not least, it is also the symbol of the East German Peaceful Revolution. “Black-red-gold therefore belongs to everyone who works for a free, democratic and diverse Germany - regardless of origin, religion or personal life plan.”
According to Wilke, he supports making the democratic tradition visible in public space regarding Redmann's initiative. However, a decision has not yet been made to display permanent flags for his houses. Redmann had the federal, state and European flags raised permanently. Wilke's Ministry of Social Affairs also announced that there were no three flagpoles in front of the ministry building in Potsdam.
Call for unity
Wilke also emphasized: “A flag alone does not create cohesion.” It is crucial to fill the colors with life through an open society, mutual respect and the active shaping of social cohesion. “In this respect, everyone who gathers behind this flag is called upon to participate in this cohesion. The more we do this, the less attractive the flag becomes for the enemies of our democracy.”
Why does black-red-gold polarize?
The relationship to the German flag is quite ambivalent. “Symbols of Germany can polarize because terrible crimes have come from Germany in the past. That's why the flag was hardly shown in the first years after the war (...)," said cultural scientist Timm Beichelt from the European University Viadrina when asked by the dpa. The German Football Association renounced this in 1954 when the Federal Republic became football world champions.
“German winners were not what the world public necessarily needed. If the flag returns, it always comes into play whether the commemoration of the years from 1933 should change," says the scientist. In East Germany, the Federal German flag was one of the important symbols of the spring of 1990. “For those who not only had joy in reunified Germany, it also represents an unrealized promise,” said Beichelt.
During the Peaceful Revolution in 1989, many demonstrators also removed or covered the GDR national coat of arms on the black, red and gold GDR flag.
Researchers: No “campfire effect”
The scientist Beichelt gave the lecture series “How to deal with right-wing extremism?” at the Viadrina. co-organizes and researches the role of emotions in politics. He doesn't expect "that everyone will now gather behind the three flags and say: "That's right, we'll think about the AfD thing again"". He said: “Different political camps will interpret the raising of the flag in their own way, in accordance with their existing emotional position towards a German-European Brandenburg. If Interior Minister Redmann had a campfire effect in mind, he would not be allowed to sit around the campfire afterwards with more people than were already there before.
