Thousands are expected to take part in Germany’s traditional Easter peace marches, with more than 100 events organized in dozens of towns between April 2 and 6. Several newspapers have run ads to mobilize people.
The program listed by the Network of the German Peace Movement ranges from “Bikes for Peace” tours and concerts to afternoon gatherings with speeches addressing the wars in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine, the Rojava conflict in northern Syria, as well as human rights and climate justice.
This year’s marches will be held against the backdrop of a major reform of military service. Since the start of the year all 18-year-olds have been sent a questionnaire from the German military to assess their “motivation and suitability” for service. Young men are obliged to complete the forms; women — who are constitutionally exempt from compulsory service — may volunteer. The new law provoked a series of nationwide school strikes, and organizers expect a larger youth presence at many events. Kristian Golla, spokesperson for the Network of the German Peace Movement, said about 20 demonstrations will include speakers addressing conscription.
The peace marches are decentralised: there is no single organisation dictating themes or speakers. The movement’s website calls on the government to launch diplomatic initiatives to end wars, to strengthen international law and to increase support for those suffering because of conflict. The network is critical of what it calls the government’s “selective interpretation of international law,” arguing Germany should condemn attacks on Iran by the US and Israel as firmly as it condemns Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
Hendrik Hegemann, a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg, said the marches remain relevant but he does not expect a massive surge in attendance. Part of that, he argued, is public ambivalence about current conflicts. “On Ukraine, for example, it’s a more complex situation than with Iraq in 2003, the last phase of larger peace protests in Germany, where most people could agree that the attack was wrong,” he said, noting the difficulty of mobilising for positions that involve strengthening Ukraine even as atrocities such as the Bucha massacre remain salient.
The Easter peace marches date back to the early 1960s and were inspired by the UK Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. They expanded rapidly during the Cold War, growing from a few thousand participants in the early 1960s to hundreds of thousands by 1968. Traditionally the demonstrations bring together churches, trade unions, left-wing parties and pacifist groups such as the German Peace Society (DFG-VK). Those pacifist organisations, originally linked to conscientious objectors, have increasingly provided advice and support to young people seeking to refuse military service.
But Hegemann said the traditional organisations now have less mobilising power and some have shifted their own positions on peace policy. The movement has also been complicated by elements of the far right and by divisive political figures such as Sahra Wagenknecht who have co-opted parts of the anti-militarisation message, discouraging some potential participants.
Despite these challenges, pacifism still holds an important place in public debate, Hegemann said. “It remains an important position,” he said. “It’s a very old, very established tradition that especially in a time of re-militarisation tries to point to alternatives, tries to ensure that certain ideas get questioned.”
Public concern about security has risen sharply. A February Allensbach report found just 55% of Germans now feel safe, down from 60% in 2025 and over 70% in 2019. About two-thirds fear Germany could become directly involved in a war. The report also found declining confidence in NATO: only 42% believe the alliance would successfully repel a Russian attack, a drop of some 14 percentage points from the previous year.
“Of course, people feel threatened by the overwhelming global situation,” said Golla, who said he expects more participants than last year but remained cautious. Poor weather over the Easter weekend could dampen turnout, he noted, but he said he was “carefully optimistic” about higher numbers.
Edited by: Rina Goldenberg