Report by Ms. Ana-Violeta Sacaliuc, the City of Darmstadt, Germany
As a long-time and committed member of the Mayors for Peace network, the City of Darmstadt considers it of great importance to strengthen public awareness of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons – especially in 2025, the year marking the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To honour this historic and deeply significant anniversary, the City of Darmstadt organised and supported a variety of commemorative and educational initiatives.
Peace Events and Exhibitions:
The City of Darmstadt supported a comprehensive program organised by the Darmstädter Friedensforum (Peace Forum) and the Protestant Deanery. This included a major open-air exhibition with photographs of the destroyed City of Hiroshima and drawings created by the Hibakusha, another exhibition on the consequences of the atomic bombings (part of which was kindly provided by the Mayors for Peace Secretariat), as well as film screenings, panel discussions and academic discourses on the responsibility of politics and science for a nuclear-weapon-free world.
“Ginkgo Tree of Hope” School Project:
Under the guidance of their teachers, students of the Justus-Liebig-Schule and the Viktoriaschule reflected upon the tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and on the symbolic significance of the ginkgo tree. They expressed their personal peace messages on paper ginkgo leaves, which were then gathered into a large “Ginkgo Tree of Hope.” On the International Day of Peace on 21 September, this symbolic tree was prominently presented and widely shared on social media, encouraging the citizens of Darmstadt to actively contribute to a more peaceful future.
Through these activities and the accompanying social media campaign, Lord Mayor Hanno Benz and the City of Darmstadt aim to inspire the public to engage in further activities that foster a lasting and sustainable culture of peace: “We firmly believe that such projects play an essential role in keeping the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki alive and in mobilizing present and future generations for a nuclear-weapon-free world.“
Photos: courtesy of the City of Darmstadt