"Our duty arises from history" - Anniversary of the bombing of Cottbus/Chóśebuz

For many decades, we lived in safety. Since the end of the Cold War, violence and shifting borders did not seem to be a means of political discourse. But this certainty no longer exists in 2026. We are seeing death and destruction in Europe again 81 years after the end of the Second World War.

Every year, 15 February, the anniversary of the bombing of Cottbus/Chóśebuz in the Second World War, provides an opportunity to commemorate the horrors of war, violence and destruction, but also the causes. The murderous ideology of National Socialism, megalomania, racism and anti-Semitism brought immeasurable suffering to the people of Europe.

This day is therefore also an occasion to reflect on human dignity and the values on which our peaceful and social coexistence is based, as well as on the democratic system in Germany and the countries of the European Union as the foundation of our coexistence. The memories and knowledge of the destructive power and the millions of victims of the Second World War seem to be fading. This makes it all the more important to remember what happened, because the bombing of German cities was a consequence of the National Socialist war of aggression. Taking responsibility for the future means looking back at the past without historical distortion.

On this occasion, Cottbuser Aufbruch invites you to a commemoration on 15 February 2026 at 3 pm on the Altmarkt and then at 4:30 pm in the Cottbus City Museum for the panel discussion "Destruction, flight, integration - touchstones of our time".