The Lustgarten gardens in Berlin-Mitte, framed by Altes Museum, the Berlin Cathedral and Unter den Linden promenade, is a historically significant place. Having already been a popular place for large gatherings during the Weimar Republic, it was converted into the central rally area in Berlin during the Nazi era, where NSDAP rallies were held on May Day and propaganda events took place during the 1936 Olympics. In recent years, Lustgarten was once again used as a backdrop for racist and anti-Semitic rallies, and well-known right-wing extremists spread their hate speech on the steps of Altes Museum.
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin – Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz therefore took a stand against racism, anti-Semitism, nationalism, and hate speech on October 3, 2024 with a giant banner on the pillars of Altes Museum, as they had done before in the summer of 2020.
This was one of the reasons why the alliance for a cosmopolitan and tolerant Berlin chose Lustgarten as the location for the rally “#WirSindDa: For a cosmopolitan society based on solidarity”. Accompanied by music, several speeches, as well as our “No Backdrop for Nazis” photo wall, the participants proved that the square is not suitable as a backdrop for anti-democratic stagings, but is part of a diverse city in which people can live self-determined lives.
Ulrike Trautwein, General Superintendent of the Evangelische Kirche Berlin-Brandenburg-schlesische Oberlausitz (EKBO), warned against becoming accustomed to contempt for humanity. Felicitas Tesch (humanistischer Verband, HVD), Christine Hoffmann (Diocesan Council of the Katholiken) and Manfred Nowak (AWO) also underlined the importance of a self-confident, strong stance against right-wing extremism. Finally, Laura Pinnig (DGB Kreisverband Mitte) emphasized the need for solidarity with those involved in democracy in Brandenburg, Thuringia, and Saxony despite increasingly difficult conditions.
Participants in the rally and many passers-by from all over the world used the “No Backdrop” photo wall to spontaneously take a photo of themselves. The photo wall is part of the campaign “Berlin – No Backdrop for Nazis!”, which aims to present Berliners and tourists with opportunities to take a stand against right-wing extremist, racist, anti-Semitic, and conspiracy ideological stagings. Using the hashtags #Nobackdrop and #keinekulisse on social media, Berliners and tourists are taking a stand virtually against Nazis and say “boo!” to ideologies of inequality in all the languages of the world.
Photos: Berlin gegen Nazis/Florian Boillot