German president apologizes to Poland for Nazi crimes
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, at the commemoration ceremony held as part of the 80th anniversary of the “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising”, said: “I stand before you today and ask your forgiveness for the crimes committed here by the Germans. “
Speaking on the anniversary of the uprising against Nazi German troops, Steinmeier thanked Polish President Andrzej Duda for his invitation. Stating that it was necessary but difficult to attend this ceremony as President of Germany, Steinmeier said: “The terrible crimes committed by the Germans here fill me with deep shame. But at the same time, as the first German president to join this agreement, I am filled with gratitude and humility.”
Underlining that the crimes committed by the Germans in Warsaw, the capital of occupied Poland, should be more widely remembered, Steinmeier continued as follows:
“Being here today is very important to me. I am here to say that the Germans are aware of our responsibility and mission and we accept it. Germany invaded Poland, starting World War II. The Germans meticulously planned and committed this crime against humanity. I stand before you today and ask your forgiveness for the crimes committed here by the Germans. Many in Poland and Israel gave the gift of reconciliation to us Germans, despite these crimes, the people who were shot. It is an indescribably precious gift that we cannot and have no right to expect.”
‘NEVER MORE’
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also referred to the difficulty of what happened in Warsaw 80 years ago, saying that Warsaw society was facing challenges that humanity had never seen before.
Herzog stated that 80 years after the uprising, as presidents of Germany, Israel and Poland, it was very significant for them to meet at the commemoration ceremony and the common phrase in their minds was “never again”.
Expressing that the Nazis and their accomplices acted with utter malice, Herzog emphasized that they had to remember history when they faced extinction and destruction, and this contributed to the friendship between Poland and Israel. (AA)