Between tanks and generals: A knight causes a stir

The TV report from June 26, 2023 focused on the visit of the German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) to the Bundeswehr in Lithuania. Brigadier General Christian Nawrat spoke to the ZDF camera team about how the announcement that 4,000 additional Bundeswehr soldiers would soon be stationed in Lithuania was received. During this discussion, a man in full knight's armor, including chain mail, cloak, helmet and sword, walked through the camera frame. The man seemed slightly confused, which certainly caused confusion among many viewers.

Knights in the Bundeswehr in Lithuania: A fact check

User reactions: Skepticism and accusations of staging

However, a section of the online community was skeptical. Some users claimed that the whole thing was staged, a pure “show”, a “fake”, an attempt to “trick” people. The allegations ranged from the assumption that it was a PR stunt to the insinuation that the knight's appearance was part of a deliberate distraction from important political issues.

The facts behind the incident

However, the reality is far less dramatic, and despite all the skepticism and conspiracy theories circulating in parts of the online community, there is a simple and logical explanation. In Lithuania, a country with a rich and proud history, the symbol of the knight is an important part of the national heritage and is depicted in the national coat of arms. Therefore, it is not uncommon for someone to appear in knightly clothing on certain military occasions, especially when awarding orders and decorations.

A knight on a horse characterizes the Lithuanian coat of arms. This historical symbol plays a similarly central role in Lithuania as the federal eagle does in Germany. At military events in Lithuania, someone in knight's armor occasionally appears - especially at ceremonies such as the awarding of medals.

The solution: tradition, not trick

The knight's appearance was therefore not a planned deception or staging, but rather a homage to Lithuania's cultural heritage. This shows that, despite the Bundeswehr's modern military technology and high-tech weapons, historical symbols and traditions have a permanent place in society and are respected. In this context, the knight was not only a humorous incident, but also an expression of pride in national heritage and appreciation of historical symbols.

claimFact check
A man in knight's armor marched through the screen during ZDF's live coverage of the German Defense Minister's visit to the Bundeswehr in Lithuania.Correctly. There was such a scene during ZDF's live reporting.
This incident caused amusement and humorous reactions on social networks.Correctly. The incident was widely discussed on social media and there were numerous humorous reactions.
Some social media users claim that the event was staged and the knight is part of that production.There are actually users who share this view, but no evidence of such a staging has been found.
The Lithuanian coat of arms features a knight and a horse.Correctly. The Lithuanian coat of arms truly contains a knightly motif.
At military events in Lithuania, it is not uncommon for someone to appear in a knight's costume.Correctly. On certain military occasions, such as the awarding of medals, it may happen that someone appears in a knight's costume.

Conclusion: In times of fake news and distrust of the media, it is understandable that some people react skeptically to unexpected events like this. But in this case, the bizarre encounter was not the product of a production, but rather an homage to Lithuanian tradition.

Source: ZDF today broadcast from June 26, 2023

Also read:


If you enjoyed this post and value the importance of well-founded information, become part of the exclusive Mimikama Club! Support our work and help us promote awareness and combat misinformation. As a club member you receive:

📬 Special Weekly Newsletter: Get exclusive content straight to your inbox.
🎥 Exclusive video* “Fact Checker Basic Course”: Learn from Andre Wolf how to recognize and combat misinformation.
📅 Early access to in-depth articles and fact checks: always be one step ahead.
📄 Bonus articles, just for you: Discover content you won't find anywhere else.
📝 Participation in webinars and workshops : Join us live or watch the recordings.
✔️ Quality exchange: Discuss safely in our comment function without trolls and bots.

Join us and become part of a community that stands for truth and clarity. Together we can make the world a little better!

* In this special course, Andre Wolf will teach you how to recognize and effectively combat misinformation. After completing the video, you have the opportunity to join our research team and actively participate in the education - an opportunity that is exclusively reserved for our club members!


Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )