Maintal sets an example: the flag of the Mayors for Peace” is raised!

Maintal sets an example: the flag of the Mayors for Peace” is raised!

An emotional sign for peace was made today in front of the Maintal town hall. Mayor Monika Böttcher, deputy head of the city council Jana Freund and first city councilor Karl-Heinz Kaiser raised the “Mayors for Peace” flag. This action comes within an important historical context: 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a date that should remind everyone of the terrible consequences of war and the use of nuclear weapons. Advance Online reported that this anniversary not only highlights the misery caused by nuclear weapons, but also serves as a strong warning.

Mayors for Peace has been committed to the abolition of nuclear weapons since 1982 and calls on over 8,500 cities worldwide to stand up for peace. The city of Maintal has been a member of this alliance since 2017 after the city council passed a corresponding resolution. With around 900 member cities, Germany is the second largest contingent within the organization, which was originally founded by the mayor of Hiroshima to commemorate the terrible events of August 1945.

The lessons from history

In August 1945, over 210,000 people were killed by the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, many immediately, but others suffered from terrible radiation damage for decades. The Hibakusha, survivors of these attacks, agree that no one should ever experience the horrors they experienced again. The current geopolitical tensions illustrate why the appeal of “Mayors for Peace” remains so important. The ongoing threats in conflicts such as those in Ukraine and the consideration by some countries of developing their own nuclear weapons programs have seriously endangered international security.

Responsibility for global nuclear threats is largely attributed to the USA, Russia and China. Currently, nine countries worldwide possess more than 12,000 nuclear weapons, with Russia and the USA holding almost 90% of these warheads. A single such warhead can cost hundreds of thousands of lives and cause long-term ecological damage. Historically, the “Doomsday Clock” shows how close the world is to a nuclear catastrophe. In 2023 it was set at 89 seconds to midnight, the critical point since its introduction that highlights the urgency of the situation. The Wiener Zeitung reports that humanity faces challenges that must be urgently addressed before it is too late.

A common goal

The active participation of cities like Maintal in “Mayors for Peace” represents a strong commitment to peace and international cooperation. “The suffering caused by the use of nuclear weapons cannot be expressed in words,” said Monika Böttcher at the ceremony. Your call for nuclear disarmament should also serve as a motivating impetus for other cities to join this important fight. The organization is also committed to solving global problems such as hunger, poverty and human rights violations, which shows that the path to more peaceful coexistence goes on several levels.

All these efforts underline the relevance of the initiative and remind us all that the path to peace requires a collective effort. As the example of Maintal shows, every city can do its part - and that is a good sign for the future.