The German Armed Forces is planning a public oath-taking ceremony in Munich’s Hofgarten. According to the Bavarian State Chancellery the occasion is the 71st anniversary of the founding of the armed forces. Minister-President Markus Söder is due to give a speech at the ceremony at the Residenz. The Chancellery says he will arrive at 1.45pm.
Recruits from the Fürstenfeldbruck area have also been selected for the main ceremony. The Münchner Merkur reported this on 10 November. They are part of a training programme that is changing in the region: the Luftwaffe has Air Force resumed training young service personnel.
The event in Munich has been announced as a public oath-taking ceremony. This moves a military ceremony from within barracks to a public space where it can be seen by the public. The Bundeswehr describes the oath as a commitment to the democratic constitutional order and to the duties of military service.
The Bavarian Minister-President’s participation also gives the ceremony a presence in state politics. However, the federal government is responsible for the armed forces. The appearance of a state government representative does not change this; rather, it underlines the connection between the Bundeswehr stationed in Bavaria and the Free State as its host region.
The date is linked to the Bundeswehr’s founding. On 12 November 1955, the then defence minister Theodor Blank appointed the first soldiers of the newly founded West German armed forces in Bonn. The Bundeswehr also uses the anniversary for public oath-taking ceremonies. A similar celebration to mark the 70th anniversary had already been announced for Munich on 12 November 2025, at Mariahilfplatz.
The training in Fürstenfeldbruck provides a local connection. According to the Luftwaffe, just under 150 recruits joined two companies there in October 2026. Training resumed at the air base after the Luftwaffe Officers’ School moved out. A public oath-taking ceremony outside Fürstenfeld Abbey Church had also been announced for 11 November.
The oath-taking ceremonies in Munich and Fürstenfeldbruck are separate events. However, the selection of individual recruits for the Munich ceremony links them in terms of personnel. The available announcements do not say how many service personnel will take part at the Hofgarten or how the event will unfold.
The public ceremonies make visible an aspect of training that otherwise takes place mostly within military facilities. At the same time, the recruits’ commitment is not to a particular federal state, but to serving the Federal Republic of Germany and defending law and freedom.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).