According to responses from the Federal Ministry of Defence to an inquiry by The Left party, the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) conducted over 2,000 visits to schools across Germany in the first three months of the year. Specific data shows that the first quarter saw a total of 2,013 Bundeswehr appearances at educational institutions, with further visits already scheduled.
The majority of these school engagements took place in Bavaria, where the Bundeswehr conducted 562 appearances. This figure represents almost half of the total projected for the entire year 2025, when the Armed Forces were expected to conduct slightly over 1,100 visits in the state. North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany’s most populous state, was also a frequent location for visits, recording 291 appointments. Lower Saxony (269) and Baden-Württemberg (219) followed in third and fourth place, respectively. In addition to schools, the Bundeswehr held 20 educational visits at universities nationwide.
While the Armed Forces are permitted to visit schools and speak about security policy, they are fundamentally prohibited from actively campaigning for service. Notably, the volume of these school visits has been increasing sharply in recent years.
Nicole Gohlke, the Green Party’s (The Left’s) education policy spokesperson, criticized this trend, stating that the figures clearly demonstrate an intention toward recruitment, despite the Defence Ministry’s reassurances. Gohlke added that utilizing uniformed youth officers and career counselors in schools serves as a “strategic means to accustom minors to the military”.
