Speech on the Federal Cross of Merit: What makes this Germany good

I have been asked to address a few words to you on behalf of all 21 fellow citizens who received the Federal Cross of Merit today. Now the 21 of us couldn't be more different, our professions, our ages, the reasons why we were honored. But if there is one thing in common, perhaps it is that we have all, consciously or unconsciously, followed the old, yet worn-out motto: ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.

And suddenly the country thanks us or, to be more precise, the state, the Federal Republic of Germany. This is, I am sure, a very special and unexpected moment for all 21 of them.

What kind of state is this? There is an infinite amount that could be said about this, both positive and critical. But because my words of thanks should be short, I would like to highlight only one point that is, for me, the most important: It is a state that has learned from history - not immediately, not completely, but nevertheless in such a way that over the decades it has become more and more part of the identity of the Federal Republic to do everything to ensure that crimes like those committed on German soil between 1933 and 1945 never happen again.

Navid Kermani gave this speech on October 5th in Berlin on the occasion of the awarding of the Federal Cross of Merit. It is unusual for the taz to print such a speech - with the kind permission of the author - but it is also an unusual award. One could say that civil society and the critical public were honored at this event, and that is remarkable in current times.

Joining Kermani were Thomas Beyer, Till Brönner, Angelina Burdyk, Daniela Danz, Karamba Diaby, Annette Dittert, Tova Friedman and Aron Goodman, Nariman Hammouti, Gudrun Heinrich, Jagoda Marinić, Nana Mouskouri, Ruprecht Polenz, Manja Präkels, Gerald Richter, Georg Graf von Waldersee, Marina Weisband, Eva Welskop-Deffaa and Evelyn Zupke excellent.

Navid Kermani is a writer and lives in Cologne. Many books, reports, prizes, speeches. This year he published the novel “Sommer 24” (Hanser Verlag) and the volume “Köln. E Jeföhl” (C.H. Beck).

For me, who was not born German, this is the most important reason why I am proud to have become a citizen of the Federal Republic: that this state does not close its eyes to its past. That, unlike his predecessor, he protects or at least vows to protect the dignity of every person, regardless of their religion, origin, sexual preference or nationality. That he fights racism and especially anti-Semitism.

Just the fact that Ms. Tova Friedman is among us today, that we have heard her moving and admonishing words and will hopefully hear them often, that we as Germans stand next to her - that alone: ​​As cruel and actually unforgivable is everything that was done to Ms. Friedman, her family and six million murdered Jews, it is so gratifying, no, probably not so much for her, it is for us, for our country, that she has just been awarded the Federal Cross of Merit.

This is everything that makes today's Germany good: that it remembers its crimes and honors its victims. Only memory makes reconciliation possible. But in remembering there is also an obligation for the present.

I say this with concern, of course. All of us, ladies and gentlemen, we see the development, the resurgence of anti-Semitism in left, right and Muslim milieus, the rise of a party that openly opposes the so-called culture of remembrance and considers the memorial to the murdered Jews in the historic center of Berlin to be a disgrace.

But I also say it as an incentive: that we do even more for our country. There will be no more survivors of the Holocaust in the foreseeable future. Then we will be tasked with passing on the memory to future generations, even if we are no longer quite young. And we must never come to terms with the fact that synagogues in Germany today resemble high-security prisons and that Jews have to be afraid again if they are recognizable as Jews on the street. The Federal Cross of Merit will encourage us to work even more courageously for an open, democratic and constitutional Germany that stands up for the dignity of every human being, no matter where in the world.

We know there is still a lot to do to fulfill the mandate of the Basic Law. The grievances, the injustices, the violations of the law cannot be overlooked and are increasing. Germany is no longer perceived internationally as a driver of European unification and a champion of international law. But we also know that it is worth it, because it is a wonderful piece of earth that is our home. We thank the Federal President and we thank the Federal Republic of Germany for this special award, which makes us happy but above all humble.