The celebrations for the Day of German Unity on October 3, 2024 began at 10:00 a.m. with an ecumenical service in Schwerin Cathedral. The service was organized by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany (Nordkirche), the archdioceses of Berlin and Hamburg and the Association of Christian Churches (ACK). The Second German Television (ZDF) broadcast the celebration live.
Welcome of the guests by the regional bishop and archbishop
Before the start of the service in Schwerin Cathedral, which is part of the Schwerin Residence Ensemble, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 27, 2024, the regional bishop of the North Church, Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt, and the archbishop of the Archdiocese of Berlin, Dr. Heiner Koch, the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the President of the German Bundestag, Bärbel Bas, the President of the Bundesrat and Prime Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, the Federal Chancellor, Olaf Scholz and the President of the Federal Constitutional Court, Stephan Harbarth .
“Set sail together”
Under the title “Set Sails Together”, the service took up the motto of this year’s holiday for German unity and Schwerin’s location between seven lakes and linked the challenge of seamanship – only being able to successfully sail ships together – with biblical readings, statements from religion and Society and the presentation of various aid and community projects from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The coexistence of East and West was discussed as well as the challenges to our democracy and the courage that it requires to dare to try something new. The sermons were given by State Bishop Kristina Kühnbaum-Schmidt and Archbishop Dr. Heiner Koch (Archdiocese of Berlin). Cathedral preacher Günzel Schmidt leads through the hour-long liturgy.
