German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Wednesday asked for forgiveness for German atrocities in Poland during World War II, as he visited the Polish capital Warsaw.
Steinmeier spoke with the now elderly men and women who fought 80 years ago in the Warsaw Uprising against Poland's German occupiers.
"We Germans are aware of our historical responsibility and we Germans must not forget," Steinmeier told the group, some of whom had fought against the Nazi occupation as 12-year-olds.
Steinmeier also addressed the central commemoration ceremony with Polish President Andrzej Duda and hundreds of listeners on Wednesday evening.
He said he only wanted to say one sentence, but one that came from the heart, according to the text of his speech, published in advance: "I ask, especially today and especially here, for forgiveness."
Steinmeier is the second German president, after Roman Herzog in 1994, to be invited to speak at the ceremony in Poland. Steinmeier was invited by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.
On August 1, 1944, the Polish underground attempted a desperate uprising against the German occupation. The Home Army wanted to drive out the Germans so that Poland could regain control of its capital before the Soviet army approached.
However, the Wehrmacht, the Nazi armed forces during World War II and the SS, the Nazi party's paramilitary force, brutally crushed the uprising in 63 days, killing about 200,000 people, mostly civilians. The massacre was among the worst German war crimes. Warsaw was largely destroyed in revenge.
"The Warsaw Uprising is one of the cruellest chapters in the long history shared by our two peoples, Poles and Germans," Steinmeier said, "and it is one of the most heroic chapters in Polish history."
For Poland, the question of reparations remains
In the decades since, Poles have rebuilt Warsaw and their entire country. The former Soviet-bloc nation is now a member of both the European Union and the NATO defence alliance.
But the massive destruction and enormous loss of life during World War II are the reasons why Poland is still asking for compensation. The issue was also raised at the German-Polish government consultations in Warsaw at the beginning of July.
Steinmeier spoke with the now elderly men and women who fought 80 years ago in the Warsaw Uprising against Poland's German occupiers.
"We Germans are aware of our historical responsibility and we Germans must not forget," Steinmeier told the group, some of whom had fought against the Nazi occupation as 12-year-olds.
Steinmeier also addressed the central commemoration ceremony with Polish President Andrzej Duda and hundreds of listeners on Wednesday evening.
He said he only wanted to say one sentence, but one that came from the heart, according to the text of his speech, published in advance: "I ask, especially today and especially here, for forgiveness."
Steinmeier is the second German president, after Roman Herzog in 1994, to be invited to speak at the ceremony in Poland. Steinmeier was invited by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski.
On August 1, 1944, the Polish underground attempted a desperate uprising against the German occupation. The Home Army wanted to drive out the Germans so that Poland could regain control of its capital before the Soviet army approached.
However, the Wehrmacht, the Nazi armed forces during World War II and the SS, the Nazi party's paramilitary force, brutally crushed the uprising in 63 days, killing about 200,000 people, mostly civilians. The massacre was among the worst German war crimes. Warsaw was largely destroyed in revenge.
"The Warsaw Uprising is one of the cruellest chapters in the long history shared by our two peoples, Poles and Germans," Steinmeier said, "and it is one of the most heroic chapters in Polish history."
For Poland, the question of reparations remains
In the decades since, Poles have rebuilt Warsaw and their entire country. The former Soviet-bloc nation is now a member of both the European Union and the NATO defence alliance.
But the massive destruction and enormous loss of life during World War II are the reasons why Poland is still asking for compensation. The issue was also raised at the German-Polish government consultations in Warsaw at the beginning of July.
