Jena and Erlangen Peace Appeal

"We don't want war, we want lasting peace!"

The recent developments in the conflict between Russia on the one hand and Ukraine, the member states of NATO and the European Union, respectively, on the other hand, fill us with deep and growing concern about war in Europe.

Carried by the conviction that military steps of the Putin administration run counter to the desire of the people of Russia, Ukraine and Europe for peace, we demand respect for the inviolability of the borders of the sovereign Republic of Ukraine, the Minsk Agreement and the return of the parties to the conflict to the negotiating table.

We strictly reject the use of weapons - from any side.

We will not believe any pretext for further military intervention.

We demand an immediate halt to attacks on Ukraine and the withdrawal of all Russian troops from its territory.

In order to achieve sustainable peace, there must be a fair balance of the interests of all those involved in or directly affected by the conflict. This includes in particular the legitimate security interests of Ukraine, Russia and their neighboring states.

We call on all sides to take these security interests into account by refraining from stationing weapons in relevant areas and by reaching substantial disarmament agreements. Settling this at the negotiating table is the task and duty of Russia and NATO.

We support the proposal of Thuringian Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow to convene a major European security conference to find solutions to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

We want Russia and the European Union to work together as true partners in the future for the good of Europe and the world.

We will promote friendly encounters between people from Russia, Ukraine and Germany - among other things by expanding and supporting regional and municipal partnerships.

In the spirit of international understanding, we are committed to ensuring that a rejection of Vladimir Putin's power politics and expansionist policies is not accompanied by a blanket condemnation of the Russian people.

Dr. Karin Kaszuba

Dr. Albrecht Schröter

Torsten Wolf

Jena and Erlangen, on 24/25.02.2022

First signatory

Dr. Albrecht Schröter, former Lord Mayor of Jena

Dr. Thomas Nitzsche, Lord Mayor of Jena

Dr. Peter Röhlinger, Lord Mayor of Jena (ret.)

Dr. Florian Janik, Lord Mayor of Erlangen

Dr. Dietmar Hahlweg, Lord Mayor of Erlangen (ret.)

Dr. Siegfried Balleis, Lord Mayor of Erlangen (ret.)

Dr. Karin Kaschuba, Member of the Thuringian Parliament (ret.)

Torsten Wolf, Member of the Thuringian State Parliament

Bodo Ramelow, Member of the Thuringian State Parliament

Prof. Dr. Mario Voigt, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group in the Thuringian State Parliament

Astrid Rothe-Beinlich, Parliamentary Group Leader in the Thuringian State Parliament

Christian Zwanziger, Member of the Bavarian State Parliament

Holger Becker, Member of the Bundestag

Ralph Lenkert, Member of the Bundestag

Katharina König-Preuss, Member of the Thuringian State Parliament

Lothar König

Peter Steger, Office for International Affairs of the City of Erlangen

Katja Wolf, Lord Mayor of Eisenach

Dorothea Storch, Mayor of Dornburg-Camburg

Frank Schenker, Mayor (ret.)

Benjamin Koppe, Head of Department

Tobias Wolfrum, Jena municipal utility company

Claudia Budich, Jena public utility company

Jonas Zipf, Plant Manager

Karl-Herrmann Kliewe, Works Manager

Sabine Wosche, LEG Thuringia

Diethard Kamm, retired regional bishop

Friederike Spengler, Regional Bishop

Sebastian Neuß, Superintendent

Dr. Gudrun Lukin, Member of the Thuringian State Parliament

Dr. Margret Franz, City Councilor

Reinhard Wöckel, City Councilor

Dr. Jörg Vogel, City Councilor

Prof. Dr. Klaus Dörre

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Frindte

Prof. Dr. Rolf Kalff

Prof. Dr. Klaus Höffken

Frank Jauch, former head of department

Prof. Dr. Timo Mappes

Rolf Ferdinand Schmalbrock

Luise Zimmermann

Dr. Joachim Hoffmann

Eckart Hesse

Christoph Ellinghaus, IG Metall

Michael Ebenau, IG Metall

Gerlinde Sommer, Weimar

Annedore Kübel

Sandra Hillesheim

Dr. Reinhard Bartsch

Dr. Eva Bartsch

Frank Albrecht

Dr. Ralf Hedwig

Prof. Dr. Johanna Hübscher

Matthias Stein

Linde Dauel

Wolfgang Dauel

Katrin Schwarz, former department head

Prof. Dr. Timo Meynhardt

Barbara Glasser

Matthias Bettenhäuser

Dr. Dietmar Ebert, former city councilor

Doris Weilandt

Klaus Rasche

Birgit Liebold

Matthias Dornieden

Rosa Donata Milton & Dr. Nicholas Milton AM

Michael Jahn

Constance Mann

Kristian Philler

Thomas Hanke

Martin Pfeiffer

Michael Dorsch

Peter Winckler

Martina Flämmich-Winckler, City Councilor

Inken Franke

Ilga Herzog

Martin Herzog

Philipp Gliesing, City Councilor

Norbert Comouth, former city councilor

Kerstin Preuß

Norbert Preuß

Dieter Elsner

Uschi Mlynski

Carl Krumbholz, Chairman of the VG Dornburg-Camburg

Dr. Martin Straub

Alexander Suchlich

Gabriele Suchlich

Dörthe Thiele

Edeltraud Suppe

Claus Suppe

Bastian Stein, City Councilor

Dr. Rudolf Wolter

Ines Zaremba

Thomas Zaremba

Grit Petzold-Gühne

Volker Gühne

Astrid Horbank

Bernhard Kühn

Dr. Ruth Fuchs, MdB (retired)

Dr. Angelika Baar

Herbert Baar

Ines Morgenstern

Christian Engelhardt

Prof. Dr. Harald Sommer

Marcus Bazant, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Prof. Dr. Siegfried Balleis, former mayor of Erlangen

Dr. Philipp Dees, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Christian Eichenmüller, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Munib Agha, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Dr. Dietmar Hahlweg, former mayor of the city of Erlangen

Kerstin Heuer, member of the Erlangen city council

Alexandra Hiersemann in her function as member of the Bavarian State Parliament

Peter Huschke, Evangelical Lutheran Dean

Lars Kittel, member of the Erlangen city council

Eva Linhart, member of the Erlangen city council

Dr. Birgit Marenbach, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Prof. Dr. Gunther Moll, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Dr. Michael Pflaum, Catholic Dean, Erlangen

Barbara Pfister, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Sandra Radue, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Prof. Dr. Holger Schulze, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Martina Stamm-Fibich, Member of the Bundestag

Marc Urban, Member of the Erlangen City Council

Jörg Volleth, Mayor of the City of Erlangen

Anette Wirth-Hücking, Member of the Erlangen City Council