Introduction:
Since 2020, there has been a recurring debate about whether May 8 would be a suitable public holiday for Germany. The teacher introduces the students to this debate, which was also fuelled by the fact that Auschwitz survivor Esther Bejarano supported a corresponding position in 2021. As in 2020, the federal state of Berlin has also declared 8 May a public holiday in 2025. It can be expected that a new public debate on this issue will develop around this date.
Step 1: Preparing the roles
The class is divided into 6 different groups, each of which prepares for a role:
1. Historian: He rejects 8 May as a day of remembrance for the liberation from National Socialist rule, as he considers this view to be too one-dimensional and fears a political instrumentalisation of historical remembrance.
2. Politician: She is in favour of introducing a day of remembrance, as it promotes awareness of peacekeeping and historical consciousness among the population. At the same time, she points out that political processes must be taken into account.
3. Youth representative: He takes a positive view of introducing 8 May as a day of remembrance, as it promotes historical and political education among young people.
4. Economic expert: He is opposed to the introduction of the day as it would entail an economic loss.
5. Civil rights activist: She is in favour of 8 May as a day of remembrance, which should stand for human rights, cooperation and solidarity.
6. Moderator: She prepares and leads the discussion.
Each group receives a role card (Attachment 1) with arguments that they can use to prepare themselves. A representative of the group then represents them in the discussion round.
Step 2: The panel discussion
The students then conduct the panel discussion. They have to stick to their role description and argue from the perspective of this character. In this way, they gain deeper insights into the historical, political, social and economic dimensions of the question of whether May 8 should become a national or European holiday.
A number of questions can be raised during the discussion:
• What is the perception of May 8/9 among the population today – is it really a “day of liberation” for most people?
• Is another date perhaps better suited as a national public holiday?
• Isn’t May 8/9 also seen as the beginning of the GDR, particularly in East Germany, and therefore as the starting point for an unjust state?
• Does making May 8 a national holiday offer potential for conflict, for example with regard to right-wing groups?
It is also possible to allow questions from the audience and thus involve the rest of the class in the discussion.
Step 3: Evaluating the discussion
The discussion should then be evaluated together:
The following questions can play a role here:
• How did the participants in the discussion feel in their role?
• Which arguments were the most convincing? Why?
• Were they able to understand each other’s arguments?
• Was a compromise perhaps even found?
It would also be interesting to get an opinion poll on which opinion is the predominant one in the class.
Attachement