Dresden.Respect

On German Unification Day 2016 in Dresden, the strident attacks on public servants escalated community conflicts to a new dimension. Once more, a populist minority's voluminous insults battered and trampled on Dresden and Saxony. The city and state's reputations have been perpetually suffering under aggressions carousing over the streets and social media. "When have hate and whistles ever intruded on a church service? When were church-goers ever subjected to curses and cat-calls? When were dark-skinned church-goers ever mortally offended?" Professor Gerhard Ehninger wrote in testimony to the horrid verbal abuse in front of the Dresden Frauenkirche.

In view of the German Unification Day events in Dresden, Professor Gerhard Ehninger, the Cellex Foundation and the Dresden Society Place to be! called together citizens' initiatives, scientific, political, cultural and economic representatives to formulate the appeal Was uns eint/What unites us, a call to reflect on our common values. "We live in a democracy where extremely differing political opinions are taken for granted. Yet, in this appeal, we do not want to talk about our differences. We've done enough of that. What we aim for is to finally stand together against intolerance and disrespect towards other people." State Minister (ret.) Dr. Eva-Maria Stange further elucidated the appeal's idea, "At the same time, we want to shine a light on the most important aspect of Dresden. Namely, that the majority of our society acknowledges freedom and democracy, that tolerance and respect are practiced concepts."