Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has emphasized the importance of historical knowledge and a critical approach to information in light of the increase in disinformation. "We are experiencing how authoritarian and extremist forces are trying to gain control over the interpretation of history and manipulate collective memory," he said at the award ceremony for this year's history competition.
These forces are engaged in disinformation, spreading deep fakes via social media and blurring the line between truth and lies. "And they do this with the aim of asserting their own claims to power, justifying injustice and war, stirring up prejudice and hatred," said Steinmeier.
