Overview

• The Große Zapfenstreich, the Bundeswehr's highest ceremonial honor, will take place on May 5, 2025, at the Bendlerblock parade ground in Berlin to mark Olaf Scholz's departure as Chancellor.
• Scholz has chosen the Beatles' 'In My Life,' an excerpt from Bach's Second Brandenburg Concerto, and Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' as the musical pieces for the ceremony.
• The Bundeswehr staff band will perform the pieces in the specified order, with 'Respect' concluding the tribute, reflecting a theme central to Scholz's political messaging in 2021.
• Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Scholz will deliver speeches before the torch-lit procession and musical performances commence.
• Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU, is scheduled to be elected as the next Chancellor on May 6, marking a significant political transition.