New Military Service—What Now?

Tuesday, November 24, 2026, 6:30 p.m.

Altes Stadthaus – Langstraße 30, Kirchheimbolanden

With the new Military Service Act, the issues of military service, compulsory military service, and conscientious objection have once again become very real for young people: Since the beginning of 2026, all 18-year-old men and women have been receiving a questionnaire regarding military service: for young men, responding is mandatory; for young women, it is voluntary. For men born in 2008 or later, the physical examination will also become mandatory again in the future. This creates a new opportunity to engage early on with issues of military service, personal responsibility, conscience, and the right to conscientious objection.

The information session provides details about the new military service requirements, the current debate on conscription in Germany, and the fundamental right to conscientious objection under Article 4, Paragraph 3 of the Basic Law. The focus is on supporting young people in developing their conscience and judgment. The goal is to empower them to engage with issues of service, responsibility, peace, security, and conscientious objection in an informed, reflective, and independent manner. They should be aware of their legal obligations as well as their rights and be able to exercise them. The event explicitly follows the Beutelsbach Consensus.

Presentations by Gregor Rehm (Peace Commissioner of the Evangelical Church in the Palatinate) and Gregor Walter-Drop (Peace Academy).