by Patrick Brion
Exactly 365 days ago, Russia attacked Ukraine, an independent and free country. Many Ukrainians decided to flee from a war-torn nation. They went to Poland, to Slovakia, to many other countries to be safe.
One of those countries is Germany. Although most people looked towards Berlin, there are many other regions which have welcomed the people from Ukraine.
One of them is Thuringia, centrally located in Germany and part of the Neue Bundesländer, that joined West Germany in 1989, after the fall of the Berlin Wall. And quickly, they organized and started networking.
On Friday, 24 February 2023, around 500 Ukrainians, together with German people, met near the Erfurter Dom, a prominent landmark.
The “Громада Українців Тюрінгії, Ukrainische Landsleute in Thueringen e.V.”, an Ukrainian organization has its headquarters in Erfurt and organized the event. Despite the rain and the cold, people gathered, listened to the guest speakers, like the Thuringian Minister-President Bodo Ramolow, who clearly stated his unwavering support for Ukraine.
The Landtag vice-president Madeleine Henfling, federal representative Christian Hirte und Thuringian Minister of the Interior Georg Maier also spoke. There were also personal stories that were shared, supported by musical intermezzos.
When singing the Ukrainian National Hymn, everyone joined.
