Timeless role models for youth in Germany

Old „saints“ – new „heroes“: Even in the 21st century, there are timeless role models and role models for young people who have lost none of their fascination, charisma, and impact. When asked which individuals, based on their qualities, abilities, and personality traits, can „serve as role models,“ the young generation up to the age of 29 named Mother Teresa (241,300 responses), Martin Luther King Jr. (201,300 responses), Mahatma Gandhi (151,300 responses), Anne Frank (141,300 responses), the Scholl siblings (111,300 responses), and Count von Stauffenberg (71,300 responses). This is the result of a recent representative survey in which the BAT Foundation for Future Issues asked 2,000 people aged 14 and older about timeless role models and role models for young people.

„Young people need role models who live or have lived by values. Pop idols and short-lived heroes are not enough on their own,“ says Prof. Dr. Horst W. Opaschowski, Scientific Director of the BAT Foundation for Future Issues. „Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, and Count von Stauffenberg represent values such as charity, tolerance, and civic courage, which are indispensable for a self-determined life and also for the social cohesion of a society.“

Young people need role models who, through their way of life and actions, serve as examples for their own behavior. Such role models can be parents, siblings, and friends, but also teachers, athletes, or pop stars. There have always been leading figures who have influenced and shaped entire generations of young people – from the Wandervogel and hippie movements to the women's, peace, and environmental movements. They often represent pioneers of a new attitude and lifestyle, without whom the 1968 movement, the Greens, Attac, or currently the Pirate Party would not have come into being.

For youth and political education work, it is remarkable how differently role models are perceived. For young women, Mother Teresa is the greatest timeless role model, while young men more frequently cite John F. Kennedy. The young generation in East Germany particularly emphasizes Che Guevara. Young people in West Germany tend to favor Count von Stauffenberg as a role model.

Professor Opaschowski: „In a time when ‚superstars‘ are practically manufactured by the entertainment industry but just as quickly forgotten, timeless ideals and idols are the true heroes: They provide guidance that outlasts fashions, zeitgeist trends, and even some turning points in history—just like parents and grandparents, who can remain role models for a lifetime. While manufactured pop idols die like mayflies, personal figures of reference and identification live on like legends.“ Every era has its role models. And every generation of young people needs its role models to guide them toward their own future.