Evangelical Church: With Steinmeier: Kirchentag in Hanover begins

With tens of thousands of visitors, the 39th German Evangelical Church Day begins today in Hanover. After opening services on the square of human rights and on the Opera Square (5 p.m.), Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will speak a greeting. The head of state then wants to take part in the city center in an “evening of the encounter”.

The Kirchentag lasts until Sunday: Around 1,500 events are planned at more than 60 locations – from Bible work to interviews and musicals to large concerts. The organizers expect up to 100,000 visitors for the main program, the police expect a day with up to 150,000 visitors.

The events in the city center, including appearances by Joy Denalane and Max Herre and Jupiter Jones, are available free of charge. A ticket for all five days regularly costs 149 euros, a day ticket is available for 49 euros.

Prominent political guests expected

One of the high -ranking political guests is the executive Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), who will make one of his last appointments in office on the exhibition center on Friday. Former Federal President Christian Wulff is also expected on Friday, former Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday. Representatives of AfD and BSW were not invited to the podiums.

Baden-Württemberg’s Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) and the new Bundestag president Julia Klöckner (CDU) have also announced. CDU boss Friedrich Merz and SPD leader Lars Klingbeil, on the other hand, canceled their planned participation. The activists Luisa Neubauer and Carla Hinrichs will have their say for the climate protection movement.

“I hope that together we can set a strong sign of tolerance, respect and democratic cooperation together,” said Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) before the opening.

Budget of 24 million euros

According to their own statements, the police have installed three additional cameras for video surveillance, which are to be observed live during the events and record it around the clock. Parts of Hanover and Laatzen, where the exhibition center is located, are blocked for drones. Restrictions can be expected in car and bus traffic in Hanover’s city center. Police President Gwendolin from the East called on to visit the city on foot if possible.

According to the organizers, the budget of the Kirchentag is around 24 million euros. This included grants from the state of Lower Saxony of seven million euros and the city of Hanover of four million euros.

The first church day in 1949 was reaction to National Socialism

The Hanover event location means a return to the roots for the Kirchentag: the first edition of the Protestant meeting in 1949 took place in Lower Saxony’s state capital. Overall, it is the fifth Evangelical Church Day in Hanover.

According to the Evangelical Church, the Kirchentag was founded in response to the time of National Socialism and the lack of resistance from the official church during this time. As a lay movement, he should be an “interface between the church and the world”.