The German military’s decision to invite Darth Vader to the launch of its new space-defence programme backfired after critics pointed out awkward parallels to the Nazi past.
t the opening ceremony for the new headquarters of Germany’s space command, Major General Michael Traut gave his speech flanked by stormtroopers and imperial officers from Star Wars.
German officials have come in for sharp criticism, with critics reminding the military that the evil Galactic Empire in Star Wars was partly based on the country’s Nazi history.
Germany’s military “apparently has no problem” with the fact that the Galactic Empire committed genocide in the fictional universe, nor that some of the characters who took part in the ceremony wore trousers “suspiciously reminiscent of those worn by the Wehrmacht”, commented the tech website Golem.
The unusual decision to include film characters in the normally serious affairs of state drew bemused responses from other sections of German media.
“The Star Wars allusion would certainly have worked with well-known figures from the Rebellion. In the case of the Bundeswehr, the decision was made to use their fascist counterparts,” Berliner Kurier stated.
On social media, one user asked: “Who is going to tell them that the Empire wasn’t on the good side?”
The military have responded by pointing out that the Star Wars characters were invited to promote a good cause. They also collected donations for a charity that helps military families who have disabled children.
Around €40m was spent on the new headquarters outside Dusseldorf, which the army says has state-of-the-art equipment
for defending German strategic interests in space.
Telegraph Media Group Limited [2023]