World Peace Day in Germany

In Germany, the World Day of Peace is usually celebrated on September 1, because that is also the day on which Anti-War Day is celebrated to commemorate the start of World War II. Internationally, however, it is September 21 that is dedicated to world peace.

After the First World War, August 1 - in memory of the beginning of the war - was initially declared a day of peace by social democrats and trade unions. On September 1, 1939, the German Wehrmacht invaded neighboring Poland. Since the 1950s, September 1 was celebrated as Peace Day in the GDR.

In the Federal Republic, September 1 was first celebrated as Anti-War Day in 1957 by trade unions and peace initiatives.

The United Nations General Assembly, by resolution of November 30, 1981 (Resolution 36/67), designated the third Tuesday in September (the day of the opening of the General Assembly) as the "International Day of Peace."

Since 2001 (Resolution 55/282), the International Day of Peace has been observed by the United Nations on September 21 as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire. In German, it is usually referred to as Weltfriedenstag (World Day of Peace), occasionally also as Anti-War Day.

In the Catholic Church, Pope Paul VI had called in 1967 to declare January 1 of each year as the World Day of Peace.