Dear Sir or Madam,

I am delighted that so many people take part in our joint commemoration every year. Today, on the 80th anniversary of the destruction of Mainz, I would like to extend a particularly warm welcome to those present who experienced the terrible bombing raid themselves and to their relatives.

Ladies and gentlemen, February 27, 80 years ago, marks a turning point in our city's history: on that day, at exactly 4:46 p.m., Mainz as we knew it, the 2,000-year-old city of Mainz, was wiped out.

Since that day, February 27, 1945, has been etched in the memory of the people of Mainz, and the memory of the inferno has been passed down from generation to generation to this day.

The bomb alarm sounded far too late on that fateful day 80 years ago. People had far too little time to take refuge in the air-raid shelters. And far too many were left defenseless against the sea of flames, the falling debris, and the meter-deep bomb craters. 1,200 people died in this severe attack on our city.
But those who managed to save themselves were confronted with a terrible scene: dead, injured, or frightened people everywhere, collapsed and burning houses, torn-up streets and squares, and above it all a black, impenetrable cloud of smoke.
This terrible day was followed by more terrible days: days of searching for the buried and missing; days of anxious hope and deep mourning.

There are only a few people left who can tell us about this time as witnesses. But their voices must never be silenced, because we need their voices to remember and, even more importantly, as a warning that something like this must never happen again. It is our duty to keep the past alive – and to give these voices a public platform, in schools, in clubs, in everyday life, on city walks – special thanks here to Mr. Michael Bermeitinger – and at events such as this one today.

And so today I want to help ensure that the voices of contemporary witnesses are heard. I quote Dr. Anton Maria Keim, the long-time mayor and head of Mainz's cultural affairs department: "This day remains a painful memory for me to this day. I sometimes wake up at night and don't know why I'm still alive. I still flinch today when I hear a siren or when something reminds me of anti-aircraft fire. The crackling and burning of the city will remain in my memory forever."

I would also like to mention another contemporary witness: Mr. Philipp Münch, who is 95 years old today and unfortunately cannot be with us for health reasons. Mr. Münch once described the bombing of Mainz as a "key moment" that had a lasting impact on the rest of his life: "War, bombs, fires, phosphorus, many dead... even in our house. I can't get these images out of my head."

Heinz Leiwig, also a contemporary witness, writes in his book "Mainz im Bombenhagel" (Mainz under a hail of bombs): "The dropping of 514,006 stick incendiary bombs, a veritable rain of firebombs, caused a fireball that could no longer be extinguished in the narrow streets between the buildings. Wind speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour tore the clothes off the bodies of those fleeing. The banks of the Rhine promised cooling and rescue. But from there, a hot air current blew into the sea of flames in the city center. The Große Bleiche proved to be a death trap. Flames licked out of the tarred wooden pavement. Those who dared to flee here got stuck in the liquid tar and burned alive. The gusts of wind combined above the burning pavement to form a firestorm."

Today, ladies and gentlemen, we remember those who were taken by the war: on this day and on all days before and after; from our city – and from cities around the world. We remember the families who lost their husbands, their beloved wives, their brothers, their sisters – or their children. War makes no distinctions.
Our thoughts are with those who were left behind, injured and traumatized, who lost a part of their own lives – who lost what could have been if there had been peace. Their suffering is a warning to us all.

Ladies and gentlemen, the war that came to our city with such devastating force on February 27, 1945, was sent into the world by us Germans; by Nazi Germany – intoxicated by self-glorification, racial fanaticism, and an unspeakable will to destroy.

And when we commemorate the victims today, 80 years later, we do so with the firm resolve never again to allow the ideas that brought so much suffering to the whole of Europe and to our city. At 4:30 p.m. today, the bells of our churches will remind us to strive for peace and to cherish our democracy. Today more than ever!

We Germans have learned lessons from our history. We have rebuilt our villages and towns, we have rebuilt Mainz. We have established our constitution and allowed our democracy to grow on this solid foundation. This has brought us decades of peace and prosperity.

But these days, we are painfully witnessing what happens when people in our country—and people outside our country—forget history or reinterpret history for their own purposes. We hear calls for remigration, for more Germanism, for the German mark and German art and German soccer players in the German national team.

And thank God, at the same time, we are also seeing tens of thousands of people taking to the streets in our cities, and hundreds of thousands across Germany. And that they are demonstrating against these inhuman right-wing slogans. And that they are standing up for democracy and for the values of our country. I am very grateful for that.

In this context, how incomprehensible is it that the American Vice President, of all people, accuses Germans and Europeans of endangering freedom of expression and thus the values of democracy – precisely because they are standing up against the hatred and incitement of populists.

And I find it just as incomprehensible that an elitist business leader should presume to insult our politicians from across the ocean and call on us to "now leave behind" the culture of remembrance for the victims of the Nazi dictatorship. This is extremely dangerous and a direct attack on our democracy. Such historical amnesia and disenchantment with history leave me stunned. Incidentally, we have seen plenty of both in the current election campaign.

Democracy in Germany must be strengthened. I therefore call on all citizens of Mainz to show their colors, at rallies and demonstrations in the city, but also in many conversations with friends, in clubs, and at work. Mainz is colorful and diverse and has manifested democracy in its identity like no other city.

Today, on this day of remembrance, I have a clear message for the arsonists from Potsdam and all their friends: Your hatred and your abhorrent ideology will not destroy our beloved Mainz and our beautiful country again. We stand for democracy, humanity, human rights, and human dignity!

Let us stand together and stand up for peace and coexistence between peoples.

Ladies and gentlemen,

I am glad that we have gathered here again in St. Christoph. I would like to thank all the citizens of our city who are involved in the St. Christoph initiative. Thanks to their commitment, a square has been created around our church ruins that restores the historical dignity and charisma of this place of worship. The tower has also been renovated, paving the way for the installation of an internal staircase, the spire, and access to the tower. The construction project will be completed here over the course of the coming year.

This place reminds us to pause and remember.

On the 80th anniversary, ladies and gentlemen, there will be various events, lectures, and exhibitions in our city to commemorate this occasion—you will find an overview in the brochure available here. I am very pleased about this extensive program, which is an important part of the culture of remembrance, and I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to its realization.

I would particularly like to draw your attention to the photo exhibition "Mainz, du sollst nicht untergehen... – Die Stadt 1945 und heute" (Mainz, you shall not perish... – The city in 1945 and today). It shows black-and-white images of the heavily destroyed city in combination with color photos from today taken from the same perspective.

St. Stephan's is a particularly suitable venue for the exhibition, as both the interior of the church and the church tower were severely damaged on February 27, 1945. At the same time, the church also symbolizes the prayer for peace and reconciliation.

Ladies and gentlemen,

in memory of those who died in the bombing of Mainz on February 27, 1945, and in the preceding air raids, we now lay a wreath here, in the ruins of St. Christoph and at the memorial against war.

In doing so, we keep our grief alive and preserve the memory of the dead in our hearts.