Poster critical of the Bundeswehr “#Yolo – Career in the army”

The poster is part of a series of images critical of the Bundeswehr that satirize the 2015 Bundeswehr campaign “Mach was wirklich zählt” (Do what really counts) with “Mach was wirklich weh tut” (Do what really hurts). Variations of the original campaign first appeared as memes on the internet, then also in the cityscape. The youth association of the DIE LINKE party published some of the motifs as posters and stickers.

A photograph of the tanker truck bombed in Kunduz in 2009 forms the background for two text sections: #YOLO (abbreviation for “You only live once”) picks up on the language of youth; a claim that the Bundeswehr posters also had. The slogan stands for taking risks in life. The text section “Career in the army” refers to the career path of Colonel Klein, who ordered the air attack on the tanker truck in which an estimated 100 people died. Unlike the two US pilots who flew the attack and were subsequently transferred, Colonel Klein did not suffer any negative professional consequences, but was instead promoted to general.

From a second perspective, the motto “#YOLO” in front of the burnt-out tanker truck creates irritation in a different way: the 100 or so victims of the bombing also took a risk by approaching the truck and died in the process. Commenting on the death of people with a whimsical lifestyle slogan creates a cynical image-text divide.

Why does the German Tank Museum Munster collect these images? The DPM sees its mission as preserving not only military technology and military culture, but also evidence of the relationship between the military and society. Formative events such as the Good Friday battle or the bombing of the tank truck are central points of remembrance in the history of the Bundeswehr. The public’s engagement with these events, including that of critics, is therefore an integral part of the museum’s collecting activities.

Object of the month

(short) stories from the depot

Unfortunately, many objects cannot currently be shown in the exhibition for conservation reasons. Here you will find unusual objects and exciting stories of special pieces from the depot