Potsdam shows flag for peace: Ginkgo tree is reminiscent of Hiroshima

Potsdam shows flag for peace: Ginkgo tree is reminiscent of Hiroshima

Potsdam, Deutschland - On July 8, 2025, Potsdam shows flag for peace and is reminiscent of the tragic events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On the occasion of the international flag day of the "Mayors for Peace", the city lifted the flag of the movement in front of the town hall to commemorate the victim of the devastating atomic bombing. Mayor Burkhard Exner and representative of the Hiroshima Platz Association as well as the interreligious forum Potsdam were involved in this symbolic event, which not only serves to remember, but should also strengthen the appeal to a nuclear weapons-free world, such as [Potsdam] (https://www.potsdam.de/de/306-mayors-peace-potsdam- indexed-fuer-furzen-und-pflanzt-babelsberg-einen-ginkgo-out) reported. A Ginkgo tree was also planted as part of the celebrations, the mother tree of which survived the explosion in Hiroshima in 1945. This symbolic planting took place on Goetheplatz and strongly reminds of the horrors of the war. It is the 80th return of the atomic bombing and at the same time a warning to liberate Germany from fascism and at the end of the Second World War. The tree should not only commemorate, but also hope for peace and reconciliation, while Schirin Wiesand, managing director of the interreligious forum, pleads unmistakably for the worldwide abolition of all nuclear weapons.

commemorate and reminders

In her greetings, Exner emphasized the responsibility that we bear in order to never experience such tragedies again. "It is important that we hold up the meaning of commemoration and work together for a world without nuclear weapons," he said. With over 8480 cities in 166 countries, including around 900 in Germany, the “Mayors for Peace” network shows that the desire for peace and security is strong worldwide. Every year over 600 cities in Germany take part in the flag day, which underlines collective determination for a better future, as the Mayors for Peace highlight.

This event brought people together in Potsdam and opened a dialogue about the humanitarian episodes of nuclear weapons. The survivors of the bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the so -called Hibakusha, still suffer from the effects of radiation. With the message "Nobody should ever suffer like us", Hiroshima and Nagasaki demand a worldwide awareness of the dangers of nuclear weapons.

foresight for the memorial event

Another important date is about to: On July 25, a memorial event will take place at the Hiroshima Nagasaki-Platz in Potsdam, which was intended July 25, 1945 when the command to drop the atomic bombs was granted. This event will start at 5:45 p.m. and is another opportunity for the citizens to deal with the history and consequences of the nuclear weapons. Over 210,000 people lost their lives in August 1945, and the events from back then still have an impact on how Tagesschau reports.

With the solemn planting of the Ginkgo tree and the attentions of those present, Potsdam has set a strong signal for peace and a common future. May these memorial days not only remain in memory, but also serve as an impetus to actively oppose the threats from nuclear weapons.