Osnabrück Handshake – Peace Day Program

A Peace City with World-Historical Heritage

Osnabrück is not a Peace City by chance. In the city's Town Hall, a part of the Peace of Westphalia was negotiated and signed in 1648 — the treaty that ended the devastating Thirty Years' War and significantly shaped modern international law. The historic Town Hall is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage and a magnet for visitors from around the world interested in history.

Peace Day as an Annual Commemoration

The Osnabrück Peace Day keeps this heritage alive. The annual program package is managed by the city's Office for Peace Culture — a unique municipal body in Germany that institutionalizes peace work long-term.

Program Pillars

The Peace Day program regularly includes:

• Discussion forums with academics, politicians, and peace activists
• Cultural events — concerts, readings, film screenings
• Symbolic actions such as the Osnabrück Handshake — encounters between conflicting parties
• Educational offerings for schools and universities
• International encounters with partner cities and peace initiatives

Managed by the Office for Peace Culture

The Office for Peace Culture coordinates not only Peace Day but also the annual Weeks Against Racism in March, the Festival of Cultures in September, and long-term educational programs. Based in the Town Hall, it works closely with the city administration, the university, schools, and peace initiatives.

August 2026 — City Program in the Peace City

The 2026 program runs throughout August and brings peace culture into all areas of the city. Lectures at the university, concerts at the Lagerhalle, discussions at the Erich Maria Remarque Peace Centre, and symbolic actions on the Town Hall Square form a dense network. Detailed program at friedensstadt.osnabrueck.de.