Ministries' work pace under scrutiny, as Künast expresses concern

German Politician Criticizes Slowness in Addressing Ministries' History During National Socialism

Renate Künast, a Bundestag member from the Greens, has expressed concern over the pace at which several federal ministries and authorities in Germany are addressing their history during and after the Nazi era. In a statement made in 2021, Künast expressed her belief that it is a tragedy how long it takes for these institutions to address the processing of their own history.

Künast's criticism specifically targets the Interior Ministry, the Health Ministry, and the Transport Ministry, which she believes should have started addressing their history in and after National Socialism before 2015. This criticism is not related to the German federal Interior Ministry's three in-depth individual studies to be published by the end of 2022, nor is it related to the Defense Ministry's five research projects that are ongoing until 2025.

It is also important to note that the Federal Court of Justice began its historical review in 2018, and a symposium on the subject has been postponed due to the corona pandemic, now scheduled for 2022. The Federal Ministry of Transport started working on the Nazi past of the former Reich Ministry of Transport in 2017, with a corresponding study on sources not expected to be completed until 2024.

The German federal Interior Ministry has three in-depth individual studies in progress, and the Interior Ministry still has three in-depth individual studies to be published. The Defense Ministry, on the other hand, has five research projects ongoing until 2025.

In 2015, Künast initiated a minor request on the subject, and her concerns have been echoed by "Der Spiegel," which reported that several federal ministries and authorities have not yet completed the processing of their history during and after the Nazi era.

Despite the ongoing efforts, there is no comprehensive public list naming specific federal ministries or authorities in Germany that have not yet completed historical investigations on the Nazi era and post-war period, nor are detailed official deadlines for completion by 2025 or later publicly available as of August 2025. However, ongoing efforts include updated exhibitions at sites like the NS Documentation Center Munich (reopened May 2025) addressing both the Nazi period and post-war far-right violence. Regional institutions such as the memorial at the former Stasi detention center in Neustrelitz receive ongoing support for historical and educational work, indicating that such investigations and commemorations remain active beyond 2025.

Künast's criticism suggests a sense of urgency for these ministries to address their history in and after National Socialism. As the country continues to grapple with its past, the call for transparency and accountability in the processing of history during and after the Nazi era remains a crucial issue.