New publication: Umstrittene allgemeine Dienstpflicht

The anthology 'Umstrittene allgemeine Dienstpflicht' ('Controversial mandatory service') is edited by Alexander Dietz (Hochschule Hannover) and Hermann Diebel-Fischer (Münster: LIT 2025).

Our society is facing major challenges. Against this background, the proposal of a general compulsory service is being discussed intensively and controversially in politics and society. Should young people be obliged to commit themselves for a year - under pedagogical supervision - to a place of their choice that serves the common good? Does our society perhaps soon need a general compulsory service in order to be able to live together freely, adequately, in solidarity, safely and peacefully even in difficult times? The majority of people in Germany think that such compulsory service is a good idea. But many associations, including Diakonie, are clearly against it. What can be said about the question of an individual's obligation to the common good from a theological, ethical, sociological, economic and legal perspective?