Survey

Between 2021 and 2022, the Project Ö team conducted a survey of German middle and high-school students to explore their individual ideas of what constitutes a hero or a heroine. Data came from five schools in Freiburg and surrounding areas, comprising responses from 833 students. The question was: "Whom would you call a hero or heroine, and why?" The question was to be answered spontaneously in order to obtain results as unbiased as possible. The answers offer valuable insights into students’ everyday realities, focusing on individuals and groups they consider heroic, or role models.

The responses were categorized into 23 subcategories. A notable finding lay in the identification of close family members as their heroes and heroines by a sizable percentage of those who answered the question. Nearly 50 percent named their parents, with mothers being mentioned more frequently than fathers. Additionally, a further 25 percent cited other family members, mainly siblings, while almost 20 percent also mentioned friends.

Another considerable group assigned heroic qualities was comprised of professionals and volunteers in healthcare and emergency services. Slightly above 21 percent of student answers were in this category, with around 13.5 percent naming doctors or nurses, seven percent firefighters and around five percent police. Greta Thunberg was by far the most frequently named individual at close to four percent,.

The reasons given by students for their responses suggest that activities that support, save lives and make everyday life easier and more livable are considered to be particularly heroic. By contrast, figures from sports and show business were significantly less central. These groups had been popular in comparable surveys from the 1990s, making up approximately a third of the vote.