Hereford - Nuremburg Partnership

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HEREFORD - NURNBERG PARTNERSHIP

at the KIRCHENTAG 2010

How German and British Churches and Schools commemorate war

A joint delegation of the Hereford - Nurnberg Partnership visited the German Ecumenical Kirchentag in Munich during the coldest and wettest May that Germany has experienced since 1941. This impressive event, which ran from Wednesday to Sunday (including Ascension day), was attended by half a million people, and took over the public spaces of the city as well as the huge Exhibition Centre.

The Kirchentag is a lay-run event, and this was only the second time it was ecumenical. It was attended by all the Bishops and church leaders, Roman Catholic and Protestant, and by other ecumenical guests, theologians, diaconal and mission organisations and religious orders. The leading national and local politicians make a point of visiting.

The Kirchentag begins and ends with two great open-air services at which major issues are addressed, including on this occasion the abuse scandals in the Roman Catholic Church. Every day begins with a choice of Bibles Studies from 0930 to 1030, and on the Saturday morning one of these was a "Trialogue" on Matthew 25 led by Bishop Anthony of Hereford, Bishop Ark of the Lutheran Church of Nurnberg and Bishop Ludwig of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bamberg. After these Bible Studies there is a huge choice of lectures, debates, interviews, church services and dramatic, musical and artistic events that go on until late at night. One can also visit the hundreds of stands and exhibits in the 'Agora' or Market Place which fills two whole hangars of the Exhibition Centre.

The Kirchentag (which takes place every other year) thus regularly promotes a positive public profile for the Churches and the Christian faith on a scale beyond anything else in Europe.

Seminar on Remembrance

On this occasion the Hereford - Nurnberg Partnership made a special contribution to the Kirchentag: a seminar on "Rememberance - how our churches and schools commemorate war". This was intended as the first stage of a longer-term programme of looking at our history together: how do we British and Germans see each other, how are our relationships with each other affected by the memories of conflict, and how can we be reconciled?

The seminar took place in The Black Box, a small theatre near the centre of Munich, and was attended by about 70 people. Two teachers - Carol Rushton of Bishop of Hereford Bluecoats school, and Ruth Barkowski from a school in Nurnberg - described how the commemoration of war is dealt with in the school syllabuses, including visits to war cemeteries. Two clergy from Hereford Diocese - Mike Kneen from Leominster and Marcus Small from Eardisley - spoke about Rememberance Sunday, and two Pastors from Nurnberg - Alexander Reichelt and Hans-Willi Buttner of Langwasser (linked with Ludlow) - described the Volkstrauertag, the National Day of Mourning, which is held on the third Sunday in November. Stefanie Reuther, a Greman Pastor working in Leominster, was the "public advocate" collecting questions from the audience. The seminar was chaired by Dr Maria Stettner, Bishop Ark's research assistant, and was conducted in German, which was greatly appreciated by our hosts (though simultaneous translation was available)

Key Issues

The key points which emeged from the different contributions and the discusion included the following:

Rememberance Sunday in Britain is no longer just about commemorating the two World Wars. The emphasis has shifted to include current conflicts, and this accounts for the strong attendances, not least by young people. In Leominster, Rememberance Sunday services are now the best attended in the year.
By contast the Volkstrauertag is still focussed mainly on the victims of past wars, irrespective of their nationality. It is becoming less well attended, and women and young people tend to stay away: it is known as "the men's Sunday" There is a church Service and Parade to the local War Memorial, with speeches by the Pastor and the Mayor, but the National Anthem is not sung in Church (in contast to Britain).
The Volkstrauertag used to be known as "Heroes' Day", with nationalistic overtones, but this changed decisively in the 1970's with the growth of the peace movement and a more pacifist spirit in Germany, and the emphasis is now strongly on reconciliation.
In Britain the current conflicts and their casualties have seen a revival of the cult of "heroes", and we "wear our poppies with pride". This is linked with the fact that the British celebrate 1945 as a great victory in a righteous cause, and therefore we perhaps assume that our cause is always just. Rememberance Sunday has a sense of pride, refected in Hymns like "O valiant hearts", which over-identify Christianity with the national cause.
Alexander Reichelt commented that, following a year in Canterbury, he realised that Britain's modern identity is as strongly shaped by the victory of 1945 as Germany's has been by its defeat and subsequent division.
Nevertheless there is a widespread willingness in the minds of the British public to accept that Rememberance is about all victims of war, whatever side they were on, and the presence of German Pastors at Rememberance Services in Leominster and elsewhere has been generally welcomed.
The image of Germany in the minds of British young people is still predominantly shaped by the Nazi period, which tends to be their preferred choice in modern history studies. This image is reinforced by the media and the large number of war films on TV. Two German contributors to the seminar who have lived in Britain said that their children were taunted as "Nazis" in British Schools. The schools are attempting to correct this with new history modules on modern Germany since 1945 and Re-unification.
The British definitely see the Germans as the enemy in the two World Wars, but the Germans have quite a different view: for them the Second World War was mainly against Poland, Russia and France, including of course the Holocaust against the Jews. Britain is seen as an enemy mainly in the context of the bombing of cities.
Hans-Willi Buttner commented: "When we are invited to think of a war being 'just' or 'justified', I don't know how to respond. But I have a suspicion that the option for war is always sold to the public much more persuasively and plausibly than a consistent policy of peace making."

The seminar was well received, and has given us much food for further refection in our Partnership. We now need to develop further work with Parishes and Schools along these lines of "sharing our history together". It will be interesting to see if the Kirchentag seminar has any effect on the way we conduct this year's Rememberance Services.

Click here to go to the CWPD download page where submitted papers are available.

The Kirchentag Seminar was followed up by a Consultation on Remembrance held on 17th May 2011 at Ludlow, for clergy and others involved in Remembrance Sunday events.

REMEMBRANCE CONSULTATION
Tuesday 17 May 2011

The Consultation was attended by 20 people plus 7 members of the Hereford-Nuremberg Partnership Committee. The morning was structured around the Questionnaire which participants had been asked to work at beforehand, and this preparation was evident in the lively discussion. The Questionnaires which were handed in are analysed in the Appendix below.

In addition to group work based on the Questionnaire there were two presentations:
1. Stefanie Reuther reflected on her experience of Remembrance Sunday as a German Lutheran Pastor working in Leominster. The German equivalent, Volkstrauertag (People's Day of Mourning), takes place on the Sunday following our Remembrance Sunday, and people tend to stay away from it. There are no uniforms, flags or National Anthem in church, and the emphasis is on remembrance and prayers for peace and reconciliation. The German people's determination that "we do not want to be involved in anything like that again" is reflected in the fact that ordinands are exempted from military service. By contrast, Stefanie was surprised to find the British Remembrance Sunday service attracting a full church, and she continues to find the presence of military and uniformed organisations, poppies and flags very difficult.
2. Carol Rushton and two students from the Bishop's Bluecoats School in Hereford described their recent visit to the Battlefields Cemeteries in France and Belgium, where one of the students had identified her own great-grandfather's grave. The most remarkable aspect was that this was the first time that young people from Bluecoats and their German partners at the Wilhelm-Löhe-Schule in Nuremberg had visited the War Graves together - a truly united Remembrance which included both German and Allied cemeteries.

In addition to the many matters raised in the groups (and reflected in the analysis of the Questionnaire), the following points emerged in the plenary discussion:
- The focus of Remembrance is not on 'victory' or on the political rights and wrongs of conflict, but on coming to terms with loss. It is right to look at the political dimension, but not on this occasion.
- The two World Wars can be thought of as a European civil war.
- For Germans, remembrance goes with warning ("Zur Erinnerung und Mahnung").
- The British naturally want to remember (hence all the war films on TV etc), and the Germans equally naturally want to forget. The challenge is to find the right balance between the two: non-triumphalist remembrance, and the willingness to forget and let go of grudges, enmities and stereotypes.
- "In war everybody loses": for those who 'win', pride is accompanied by dismay, not only at their own losses, but also at the violence and destructiveness of victory, the damage to the sense of common humanity and the danger of self-righteousness about their own role in world affairs.
- Young people are directly affected by present-day conflicts, which is why many of them attend Remembrance services. Their ideas and expectations may be different from those of the older generation, and this needs to be taken into account when thinking about opposition to change.
- The erection of memorials, the reading out of names and research into the backgrounds of war victims arose as a spontaneous expression of anger at the dehumanisation of the First World War in which millions were sacrificed in new, industrialised forms of combat. Remembrance Sunday can be seen as a community protest: "These were our children, and we will remember them!"
- Stories of individuals and communities, especially stories of reconciliation, are invaluable for reflection, preaching and prayer. The stories of conscientious objectors and deserters also need to be reclaimed.

Participants were asked to send material for the proposed Resource Pack (liturgical material, poetry, titles of books and films, creative writing by students and personal stories (with the permission of those involved) by the end of June to: Bishop Michael Bourke, The Maltings, Little Stretton, Shropshire SY6 6AP (email: steamtrainhouse@yahoo.co.uk).

APPENDIX
Analysis of Preparatory Questionnaire
(7 handed in plus 2 Youth Questionnaires)

A. War and Remembrance - the Context
1. Is the focus of Remembrance Sunday on the wars of the past or on present conflicts? Where do you think the emphasis should lie?
Both past and present wars 6
World Wars involved everyone (conscription) - therefore
they are a "focus for deep thought" 1
Emphasis should be on present wars 1
Modern conflicts highlight our inability to achieve world peace 1
Mainly World Wars but should be all (Youth) 2
Remembrance is really important - everyone should be
remembered (Youth) 2

2. Are the names of the fallen (past or recent) read out? Is the service regarded as a commemoration of heroes or heroism? Are civilian casualties commemorated as well as military ones, or should they be? In addition to those killed, what mention is or should be made of those wounded, disabled or traumatised by war, or of the difficulties members of the armed forces can have in returning to civilian life?
Read out the names of those killed (not others - where do
you draw the line?) 5
Main theme of Remembrance is those who died 1
There should be brief mention of wounded and disabled 1
Only soldiers deliberately risk their lives - civilian casualties
are not intentional 2
Civilians etc should be mentioned in the Intercessions 4
Yes, we do remember heroes 2
We have a Garden of Remembrance where we plant crosses
- one for "innocent victims" 1
Civilian victims and disabled etc are mentioned, but
not enough (Youth) 2

3. Do our Remembrance events commemorate all victims of war, including 'the other side' (past or contemporary), or only 'our own'? What image do they project of the enemy? How do you think the service should deal with these questions?
We should specifically remember only British casualties by
name, but in the context of "all who have died" 1
Others remember their dead - our own will not be happy if
we remember others as well 1
Remember lives lost on both/all sides - Christ died for all 3
'The enemy' (but not individuals) projected as evil 1
Don't identify 'enemy' because alliances change with time 1
War is evil - sometimes necessary, but still evil 1
It's difficult to pray for terrorists in present conflicts -
pray for civilian populations caught up in them 3

4. How far does the Remembrance Service (with or without parades) function as a celebration of victory? Should this aspect of national pride ("Wear your poppy with pride!") play a part, or should the emphasis be more on the tragedy of all war?
Remembrance is not about 'victory', pride or jingoism 2
Not 'victory' because no-one wins a war 4
War is always a tragedy 2
We're proud because thankful they gave their lives for us 1
Remembrance = deep reflection about those who died in
our name 3
Poppies represent remembrance of loss, hope of resurrection
and fund-raising for wounded and families 1
White poppies detract from the focus on suffering and loss 1
Although we won, we lost many (Youth) 1

5. Do you think Remembrance events would be different if we had lost the war, and if so, how?
Yes, it would be different - would Remembrance be allowed? 4
Our gratitude would be the same 1
Germany still commemorates - no parades, but reflectively 1
How did Germany deal with this is the 1920's and late 40's? 1
Don't know 4

6. Does commemorating the fallen imply approval of the policies that sent them into war, especially in modern conflicts? Should wrongs done by our own country be acknowledged, and is the Remembrance Service the right time to do this? How do you think the service should deal with these aspects of 'loyalty'?
Keep politics out of Remembrance - it insults the troops 4
The place for politics is another time 2
Soldiers are not involved in policy-making 2
Soldiers believe they are doing "the right thing" at the time 2
The country should look after its soldiers 1
Remembrance and gratitude do not imply approval of policies 3
Yes, acknowledge wrongs we have done (but not in Service) 2
By remembering we hope to avoid past mistakes 1
Remembrance is about atonement, not vendettas 1
I remember them, but didn't support them going (Youth) 1
This needs more attention in the service (Youth) 1

7. Does the service include any reflection on the causes of conflict, such as territory, ethnicity, resources, ideology, religion or honour, and the propaganda which accompanies them? How might Remembrance Sunday encourage us to use our freedom to avoid the likely causes of conflict in the future?
This isn't the point of Remembrance Sunday - another time 3
The Service preaches its own message - prayer for peace
with justice 2
Look at the principle of the 'just war' 1
These are subjects for prayers in the service 1
These issues highlight the need for dialogue 1

8. Who are the people who actually attend the Remembrance Sunday service? What military or civic representation is there? Is there a parade, and do people wear medals? Are the families of local victims of war present, and what is the age structure of the congregation? How does the regular congregation relate to the others who come on this occasion? What are the spoken and unspoken expectations of all these people in terms of the questions set out above? Do you assume you know what their expectations are, or do you discuss them with people beforehand?
Soldiers and veterans with medals 6
Royal British Legion 6
No medals, flags or uniforms if no Parade 1
Families of past and present combatants 4
Older people 2
Mixed ages 4
Increasing attendance 1
Pride at names of local people 1
People oppose change 1
People want a dignified service with familiar words and hymns 1

9. The church is directly related to Remembrance Sunday: does it have any connection with aspects of 'Remembrance' which take place at other times of the year, for example in school syllabuses or the ongoing work of the British Legion?
Schools - assemblies and curriculum 4
Royal British Legion service in May 1
50th and 60th anniversaries at different times of year 1
No connection 4

The Remembrance Service or Event
10. Who takes part in the leadership of the Remembrance Service? Is it an Anglican 'Establishment' occasion, or ecumenical? Are schools or other faith communities involved? Do any of these others participate in the planning as well as the conduct of the event, or should they do so? Who would invite them?
Anglican-led with no others 3
Ecumenical leadership 3
Other faiths included 1
"Open to all" 1
Uniformed organisations and schools involved 3

11. What would be the local reaction to having someone from 'the other side' - say a pastor or parish group from Germany, or (today) Muslims - taking part in the event? Would that alter your planning and perception of the event, and if so, how?
We'd lose support 1
Ex-IRA not welcome 1
Muslims in the Army sometimes attend our service 1
Muslims probably wouldn't come 1
A local German ex-POW attends 1
A German Pastor would be welcome 1
The Army has joined with the Germans in Germany 1
Unsure of reception, but it would be a good move forward 1
The service would have to alter, as we would need to see
things from their side as well as our own 1

12. What do you see as the responsibility of the Church in hosting Remembrance services? Is it to invite the community to commemorate as it wishes, or to control the event in an explicitly Christian way, or somewhere in the middle?
The Church has a duty to host Remembrance services (role
of Queen as head of Church and Armed Forces) 1
If the Church hosts it, it must be a Christian service 1
Control is needed as it's a Church service 1
If people don't want a Christian commemoration, they should
go elsewhere - the Church shouldn't compromise 1
We should preach reconciliation, give lead that we're
about peacemaking 2
We should not try to be in control 1
We're in the middle 3

13. Is the liturgy provided by the church authorities or composed locally? What are its emphases on the spectrum nationalism>>>reconciliation? Would you want to change it, and if so, how?
We use the CofE service - it avoids extremes 1
Use British Legion service (online) 2
Write own liturgy (but use set Act of Remembrance) 2
There's room for improvement 1

14. Who chooses the readings and hymns? Are any of them theologically dubious in your view? What should you do about that?
Clergy choose 4
Don't like some hymns - too nationalistic - but don't
always ban them 3
Hymns are appropriate 1
Hymns sound amazing - everyone sings them (Youth) 1

15. What elements might the liturgy include to help people to cope with wrongs done to them in a constructive and Christian way?
In sermon 2
In intercessions 2
Personal help outside service 1
Poppies laid on altar as sign of letting go 1
"Don't collude with people feeling hard done by" 1

16. What relative weight does your sermon give to the themes of sacrifice, victory, defeat, resistance, acquiescence, guilt, atonement, peace and reconciliation? What is your general aim in preaching on this occasion?
Help people cope with loss 1
November themes of saints and departed 1
Forgiveness, don't hold grudges, "forget" 3
World peace 1
Patriotism not enough 1
Civic responsibility 1
Stick to Remembrance - not reconciliation or multi-
culturalism (RBL nearly walked out once) 1

17. What resources have you found most helpful in preparing to preach on Remembrance Sunday?
Experience and pastoral feedback 1
RBL website and Internet 2
Stories about people 1
What the schools are doing 1
Book of Westminster Sermons, 1960 1
"Beyond our Tears" (CTBI) 1

18. What pressures and expectations do you and your colleagues feel bearing down on you as you prepare the service and the sermon? How do you, and how should you, respond to them? What reactions might you face in seeking to change the emphasis traditional in your locality? Are there ways of getting people 'on side' beforehand?
Difficulty of finding sermon new themes year after year 1
Preaching to those who don't normally come to Church 1
Walking a tightrope - people criticise at the drop of a hat 1
Avoiding causing upset 1
People firmly resist change 1
Involve RBL in planning 1
Release of doves at Memorial during or after service 1
People are more ready for change than we think - especially
younger people involved in modern conflicts 1

B. The Consultation
19. What expectations and hopes do you bring to the Consultation?
Finding ways to change 1

20. Do these hopes include changing the way you do Remembrance Sunday next time?
I'm reasonably happy with the present pattern 1
I've not always felt comfortable in the past, and want to
improve 2