30. November: Cities for Life – Cities against the Death Penalty – worldwide campaign also in Germany

The “Cities for Life” or “Cities for Life – Cities against the Death Penalty” campaign has been taking place on November 30 for 23 years, making it the twenty-fourth time this year.

The Catholic-Christian lay movement called the Community of Sant’Egidio, with its headquarters in Rome and around 60,000 members in more than 70 countries worldwide, launched the project in 2002, in which cities from over 100 nations are now participating. On November 30, hundreds of cities will illuminate a central or characteristic building in a special way to draw attention to the death penalty and call for its abolition – from the Colosseum in Rome to the Obelisk in Buenos Aires. In the many years since November 30 was established as the “Cities for Life” day of action, over 2,500 cities have already taken part in the campaign – including more than 70 capital cities.

Hundreds of cities in Germany take part

Germany was and is represented by over 280 cities. Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Bremen, Cologne, Leipzig, Schwerin, Rostock, Nuremberg, Hanover, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Dortmund, Würzburg and Munich are just the best known of a long list of cities that are currently taking part or have at least done so in the past. In addition to the lighting of the respective building, there are usually accompanying campaigns by human rights groups in many cities that specifically want to raise awareness of the death penalty. The date was chosen because the Grand Duchy of Tuscany was the first European state to abolish the death penalty on November 30, 1786. With the exception of Belarus, the death penalty no longer exists throughout Europe.

Participation of the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

The German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty is once again involved in Wiesbaden this year together with Amnesty International. Instead of the usual illumination of the Bonifatiuskirche, which is still covered in scaffolding due to construction work, the Ringkirche will once again be wrapped in blue light and decorated with the text “Wiesbaden says NO to the Death Penalty!” – see last year’s YouTube video! In addition, members of the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty will organize a reading from the book “Wie man ein Schmetterling wird” about Reyhaneh Jabbari, who was executed in Iran in 2014.

The city of Frankfurt/Main has still not decided to resume its participation in Cities for Life. Instead, the parish of St. Bernhard will light up its church, accompanied by an event with Amnesty International Frankfurt and the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty on November 28. Hamburg, which claims also to be one of the “Cities for Life”, has once again rejected this year’s illumination. None of the various low-cost alternatives proposed by the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty could be agreed upon. At the suggestion of the German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Saarlouis was fortunately won over as a new member of Cities for Life and members of the association are also involved in Göttingen and in Berlin.

Ringkirche Wiesbaden “Cities for Life” 2024

Further information on events in…

Gabi Uhl
German Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

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