Mission

What should be protected?

The Commission on Civil Protection of the German Federal Ministry of the Interior is not only considering German citizens but all people living in Germany. A “social” state according to article 20 of the Basic Constitutional Law should not prefer people – neither women nor men, children nor aged, active nor handicapped, good or bad – nor those, who live here permanently or stay here only temporarily or those, who just visit Germany at the time of a disaster.

The Commission does not only consider the mere survival of people, it also considers the reasons, why it is worth for them living in our country. This approach includes buildings, enterprises, or infrastructures. In addition it includes everything which makes life worth living– a constitutional state, a democratic government, the freedom of press and people’s happiness. Values such as knowledge and expertise, sciences and the arts are also included. I.e., when worst case scenarios are analysed neither the obvious issues of “civil protection“ nor the “protection of cultural goods“ are left out. The Commission is aware of the fact that we do not only live in an isolated Germany, but in the European Union which is about to re-organise itself. Global threats also ask for a long-term view.