“In the countryside, the strong sense of community is democracy in action.”

Marthe Vellguth (25) comes from the village of Elsdorf in the federal state of Lower Saxony. While studying medicine in Hamburg, she has been the honorary chair of the Bund der Deutschen Landjugend (BDL – Federation of German Rural Youth) since April 2026. She told us why she plans to return to her hometown after completing her studies, and explains the connection between village life and democracy.

Marthe, you come from a village, but you go to university in a big city. Be honest – isn’t it much more exciting there? 

Of course – there are some beautiful parts of Hamburg, but I miss the feeling of community at home. In a village everybody knows everybody else. You help each other and stick together. In contrast, life in a big city is pretty anonymous. And when I’m feeling stressed, I like nothing more than to go for a walk in the countryside, which is why I head home several times a month. When I graduate I’m definitely going to go back and work as a village doctor.

You have been active in the BDL since 2018, and you are now the National Chair. What do you actually do, apart from celebrating harvest festival and traditional target shooting festivals known as Schützenfeste? 

Of course they’re part of what we do [laughs]! We nurture traditions of all kinds, such as folk dancing, music, customs and traditional clothing. We organise festivals and arrange initiatives such as litter picking. We also get involved in politics, too, as we want to play an active part in shaping the places we come from. 

What has rural life got to do with democracy? 

So much! It’s where a 95-year-old granny gets into conversation with a 17-year-old heavy metal fan, or where a young farmer discusses her points of view with a university professor. Different generations, jobs and opinions all come together. Everybody knows everybody else. We talk to each other, and we have to accept different views. That strong sense of community is democracy in action. 

But there are some unsavoury views in the countryside, too, aren’t there? How do you deal with those?

We are committed to an open society and we oppose extremism of all kinds. Through our education work we try to challenge prejudices and take an unambiguously democratic stance, such as by challenging far-right attitudes.

What will need to change to make more young people want to stay in the countryside?

Better bus and train links are important, to give one example. People without a car shouldn’t be left behind! We also need more leisure activities and places to go shopping, along with good career prospects. We’re also campaigning on behalf of young farmers and winemakers. Our aim is to help young people see a future for themselves on the land and to want to return after completing their education and training – just like me!