Four countries, eight cities and countless local initiatives - in 2025, REWE Group was involved in numerous Pride events in Germany and Europe to send a loud signal in favour of equality, diversity and acceptance. Current political and social developments show that this is becoming increasingly important. Together with our internal LGBTIQ network DITO, colleagues, friends and family, members of the LGBTIQ community and straight allies demonstrated for queer rights at CSDs in Germany, Austria, Italy and Slovakia. The numerous impressions show how participants felt about the demonstrations and parades and how diverse and colourful this year's commitment was.
As a proud partner, REWE Group and its LGBTIQ employee network DITO took part in five of the biggest Christopher Street Days in Germany: Cologne, Leipzig, Frankfurt am Main, Berlin and Hamburg. In total, over 750 employees from all REWE Group sales lines celebrated together on the turquoise-blue and pink-coloured REWE Group trucks and in the dedicated foot groups. The common message: everyone should be able to stand up for themselves in the workplace without fear of discrimination.
Cologne
For the third time in a row, REWE Group was the main sponsor of ColognePride with REWE and PENNY. The two-week supporting programme ended on 6 July 2025 with the big demonstration for Christoper Street Day (CSD). More than 400 employees and friends marched with the REWE Group truck from Deutzer Brücke to Cologne city centre - to the delight of around one million visitors.
Leipzig
What works in Cologne or Berlin also works in Leipzig. Almost 20,000 people were out and about in Leipzig city centre on 28 June 2025 under the slogan "We're staying here!", inspired by the Monday demonstrations of 1989. And for the third time at one of the largest CSDs in the East - a large REWE Group truck with more than 50 committed network members and allies.
Frankfurt on the Main
This year's CSD parade marched through Frankfurt city centre under the motto "Never be silent again - Frankfurt is loud". In the middle of the colourful parade: the turquoise-blue REWE Group truck, flanked by a cheerful group of pedestrians. Around 120 colleagues and friends took part and made it a successful day with plenty of team spirit, positive energy and a clear political and social stance.
Berlin
On the last weekend in July, hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Berlin's city centre to demonstrate for queer legal rights - the motto here was also "Never be silent again!". With around 80 trucks and more than 70 foot groups, the demonstration marched from Potsdamer Platz to Straße des 17. Juni between the Victory Column and the Brandenburg Gate. And right at the front in third position: the REWE Group truck with more than 100 colleagues from all over East Germany.
Hamburg
On the first weekend in August, the REWE Group truck finally rolled through Hamburg, the last city in which REWE Group 2025 was a partner. More than a quarter of a million people - one of the largest demonstrations in Hamburg's history - were part of the CSD in the Hanseatic city. a total of 118 groups took part in the parade. REWE Group was there with 80 colleagues and family members, who danced on the truck and in the foot group while flying the flag for equality and diversity.
Despite some unstable weather, the participants were not deterred from demonstrating against queer hostility and in favour of a more open and tolerant society. With rainbow flags, colourful outfits and loud music, they filled the streets of major cities and showed that we stand together and we will not be silent. "Never be silent again" - almost all CSDs in Germany agreed on this common annual motto for the first time ever and showed their colours in numerous cities in February in the run-up to the early federal elections in 2025.
Not only in Germany, but also in three other European countries, REWE Group is supporting the local Pride events as a partner this year with BIPA, BILLA and PENNY: in Austria, Italy and Slovakia. REWE Group is thus emphasising its position that diversity knows no borders and is practised equally across all locations and sales lines.
Hello Vienna!
Vienna Pride took place for the 29th time this year, with a big rainbow parade as the highlight of the celebrations. This year, BIPA set up a white and pink tent in the Vienna Pride Village in the centre of Vienna. Visitors were able to have their make-up done free of charge by the talented BIPA make-up artists in the tent, which was met with great enthusiasm.
Ciao Milano!
Further south, PENNY took part in the Pride parade in Milan city centre with a colourful float. A group of around 20 colleagues and friends rode on the truck through the vibrant streets in bright sunshine and celebrated diversity in the Italian metropolis.
Ahoj Bratislava!
At the end of July, REWE Group was finally represented with BILLA at the "Duhovy Pride" in Bratislava. Around ten colleagues and their families took part in the demonstration in Bratislava under the motto "Spoločne za rozmanitosť", which means "Together for diversity".
The REWE regions and individual retailers also took the initiative and sent a clear signal in favour of diversity. For example, the team from REWE Digeon in Illingen took part in CSD Saar-Lor-Lux with a number of other colleagues from Saarland. Around 40 participants came together and marched through Saarbrücken city centre.
The Region West supported several local Pride associations that organise the CSDs in their cities, including Rheinqueer Bonn e.V., Rainbow Aachen e.V. and CSD Mönchengladbach e.V. They each received a €500 shopping voucher for catering for the organisers.
Another great action took place in the south of Germany: The demonstration march in Nuremberg passed a REWE store, in front of which colleagues from REWE and DITO handed out free ja! water to parade participants. In another area in the southern region, several stores joined forces to support the LGBTQ+ Rosenheim e.V. association with their deposit voucher campaign. Customers can donate to the Pride association using their drinks vouchers. In May, 9,500 euros were already handed over, but the campaign will continue until the end of the year.
REWE Group was once again able to show that social attitude and corporate responsibility can go hand in hand. Values must be lived in order to be visible - it is not enough to just talk about them.
A big thank you to all the organisers, DITO members, participants and every single person who contributed to making this year's CSD so colourful, peaceful and successful. It was a real firework display!
More pictures, impressions and voices await you in the following video - enjoy!
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Einfach nur Mega , weiter so