With wreath-laying ceremonies, and a moving ceremony in the Bundestag has been commemorated on the memorial day of the victims of war and tyranny. The French President, Macron delivered a emotional speech.
Applause stand in the hour of commemoration for memorial day in the Bundestag: The has ever. He was the French President, Emmanuel Macron, the held in this year, the Central speech in the ceremony. That he had been invited, Macron thanked him explicitly. This is a large Signal of reconciliation. “No people has its story so sincerely worked up for his Lessons of history, such as Germany.”
Germany have overcome the “blood-thirsty demons of nationalism”. “I am proud that France has a role to play in this resurrection played,” said Macron. You’ve worked on, a European project to build up and shake hands. Our similarities are stronger than our differences.” In moments in which, for France, also once the words would come, perhaps incomprehensible, was important: “remember that France loves you.”
Urgent appeal to the Europeans
An important Chapter in his 20-minute speech devoted Macron of the European Union. Europe was at a crossroads, now, it is important to ask for more commitment. The President called for an “effort” to make Europe in times of a new nationalism more crisis-proof. “Today, we need to open a new Chapter that we owe to Europe.” The EU need more independence, and more strength to be able to in the world in the future claim. “Europe and the German-French Couple has the duty to let the world into the Chaos of sliding,” said Macron.
The French President, Emmanuel Macron in the Bundestag
Europe must take more responsibility for its defense and its security, there is a need for a greater European sovereignty. “This battle is not won, this battle will never be won,” said Macron, in Addition, the climate change, Trade disputes and other challenges have to be mastered. “We all want a fair world order.”
The President acknowledged that the reorganisation of the EU, do also afraid. “Each of us will have to share in the sense of communitarisation of its decision – making powers, its foreign policy, its migration or development policies, as well as a growing part of its budget or even its tax revenue,” said Macron.
Reconciliation does not mean to Forget
Traditionally, the annual commemoration is aligned to the national day of mourning the German war graves Commission. Its President Wolfgang Schneiderhan said in his speech in the Bundestag, reconciliation, hot not Forget. “Reconciliation begins by recognizing your own and other failure, guilt, confess, and also the suffering of others to acknowledge.”
Ceremony in the Bundestag
Only this triad allows for a lasting peace, with themselves and with the Opposite. “All Attempts to relativize the dark years of German history, or to trivialize it at all, however, are only paving the way for new prejudices, new conflicts, and new wars,” says Schneiderhan. “If called again today, racism, xenophobia and right-wing propaganda is to discredit the idea of a common Europe, we must work vigorously. This is all of our priority common task.”
Moving project to a young footballer
The ceremony was also designed by young footballers from Germany, the UK and Belgium. They read letters and life before the fates of former footballers to their clubs, who had died as soldiers. “Tears have no color,” said a football player of FC Bruges with a view on the unifying power of football. The athletes also visited in the framework of the project “football war cemeteries in several countries” is reminiscent, in order to understand the horrors of war.
Wreath-laying ceremony at the Neue Wache
Emmanuel Macron, and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the day had started in an old cinema in East Berlin. Under the title “Youth for Peace – 100 years of the first world war, 100 ideas for peace” met there this weekend, 500 young people from 48 countries in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, to discuss how the peace in a challenging world secured, and the cohesion can be strengthened.
The most valuable ideas are the most fragile
With their participation in the final event Macron and Steinmeier expressed their support for the project of the German-French youth office. The youth must fight for a cosmopolitan, peaceful Europe. “We are at a very important time in our history,” said the French President, who had landed on the morning of memorial day in Berlin. It is about “our common history” and cultural thinking and working on it. “A youth can build the future, if you know the past.” Otherwise there is the risk to repeat mistakes. “Creates an open, ambitious Europe”, called Macron from his young listeners.
Macron and Steinmeier at the Handover of the ideas for peace
Federal President of Germany, Steinmeier stressed that it was important to renew the promise of “Never again war”. “It needs fresh ideas.” EU, democracy, freedom, The most precious ideas were the most fragile. It was a miracle, what had reached the mothers and fathers of the European unification. “It is an obligation, to renew this miracle and to receive.” From history must be learned in order to avoid new misunderstandings. “It was in Europe even easier,” said Steinmeier.
Wreath-laying ceremony at the Neue Wache
Together with the tips of the German state, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Bundesrat President Daniel Günther, constitutional court President Andreas vosskuhle and the Bundestag Vice President Claudia Roth, both of the President then laid wreaths at the Neue Wache, the memorial of the Federal Republic of Germany for the victims of war and tyranny.
The building was at the beginning of the 19th century. Century built according to plans by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and Solomon Sachs as a security guard building for the opposite side of the Royal Palace and monument for the liberation wars. At the suggestion of then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl a copy of the sculpture “mother with her dead son, is in the interior of the New guard since 1993,” by Käthe Kollwitz. In front of the sculpture of the lettering is recessed “to The Victims of war and tyranny” in the ground.