German schools host events to promote democracy and combat extremism

Independent and public schools in Germany are organizing various initiatives to strengthen democratic engagement and address political extremism.

In Hamburg, the ‘Week of Free Schools’ (scheduled for November 2–6, 2026) will feature the ‘One Hour for Democracy’ program. This initiative invites members of the Hamburg Parliament and district administrators to engage in direct discussions with students across various school levels, from primary to grammar schools. The goal is to help students understand political decision-making and their own capacity for civic change.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Heuss-Adenauer Mittelrhein-Realschule plus hosted a ‘School Dialogue Space’ to launch an exhibition titled ‘Strengthen Democracy – Combat Right-Wing Extremism.’ Organized in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the ‘School Without Racism – School with Courage’ initiative, the event focused on educating youth about hate speech, political participation, and the critical evaluation of content on social media.