Adam von Trott saw patriotism and cosmopolitanism, as well as Germany and Europe, as two sides of the same coin. Profound ties with one’s home and a united Europe, as well as commitment to one’s own country and to peaceful cooperation around the world are not mutually exclusive, but rather prerequisites for a good and peaceful future.

This also provides an answer to the question of how we can bridge the widening gap between the global elites and the part of our society that fears being left behind – a gap that is partly reflected in the votes won by nationalists and populists. An important part of the answer lies in not leaving the term “home” to those who want to redefine it in a crude and revisionist way that smacks of blood-and-soil ideology. For us Europeans, home is now a place where freedom is guaranteed by the rule of law.

The death of Walter Lübcke is a turning point because it strikes the very heart of our democracy. Walter Lübcke represented democracy. He represented us. And Walter Lübcke’s death also shows clearly that Germany has a problem with right‑wing terror. Indifference kills democracy. But democracy will flourish if we defend it. And defending it is not some stubborn fight. That is also what Adam von Trott symbolises.