Fifty-nine Bundeswehr soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan, and many more were injured or traumatized. At the end of the 20-year mission in Afghanistan, which cost Germany €17.3 billion ($20 billion), there was a hasty withdrawal, followed by the almost-as-quick takeover by the Taliban.

Many in Germany have asked whether it was worth it. Answers to this and similar questions were to be provided Wednesday at a 4.5-hour debate hosted by Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. The event was intended as a starting point for a wider debate.