Oradour-sur-Glane: A Village Destroyed by Nazi Forces During World War II - Acts of healing occur at the location of the SS execution.
Today, symbols and gestures are on display as Emmanuel Macron and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, leaders of France and Germany, join hands in Oradour-sur-Glane to honor the memory of those who fell victim to one of the most horrific acts of SS war crimes in Western Europe. Exactly 80 years ago, German soldiers mercilessly murdered 643 innocent civilians – children, women, and men – in this small French village.
The wreath-laying ceremony is a powerful display of the transformation of past enemies into present friends. Steinmeier solemnly says in his speech, "I would like to express my shock and sorrow for the unbearable, the cruel, and inhuman acts perpetrated by Germans here." He also criticizes the inaction in holding the perpetrators accountable after the war, feeling ashamed that justice was not served. "Here, my country has again taken on a second guilt," he admits.
The village of Oradour-sur-Glane was destroyed by the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich," just a few days after the Allies landed in Normandy. Soldiers rounded up men and shot them in barns, while women and children were locked in the village church and killed by poisonous smoke, bullets, hand grenades, or burned alive. Only a few people managed to survive the massacre, which the SS described as retribution for attacks by the growing French Resistance against the German occupiers.
"The Oradour massacre belongs to the realm of the unthinkable, the unspeakable, and the indelible," highlights Macron during the commemorative ceremony. This memory should never fade away. "In this memory, in the ashes of Oradour, we must rejuvenate the strength of reconciliation, the basis of our European project, and our ongoing desire for freedom, equality, and brotherhood," he continues.
The French government owns the ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane, which serve as a memorial for the suffering of the French population under German occupation and the German-French reconciliation following the war. Steinmeier and Macron walk side by side past the remains, paying their respects to the victims.
Accompanying them are Karin Eideloth from Germany and Agathe Hébras from France, whose grandfathers were on opposite sides of the atrocities. Eideloth, who learned through Karen Breece's research for her theater project Oradour that her grandfather, Adolf Heinrich, had been complicit in the crimes committed in Oradour-sur-Glane, describes her initial reaction as a "mixture of disbelief and anger." She's haunted by the images of the tragedy. It took her nearly five years to visit the village for the first time in 2022, but she was greeted warmly and lovingly by the locals. "I'm eternally grateful to them," she says.
Steinmeier also expresses his gratitude to the people of Oradour, praising their efforts in promoting reconciliation. "Let us never forget what nationalism and hatred have done in Europe," he warns, a day after the European elections in which right-wing parties celebrated successes.
Despite the horrors of the past, Macron and Steinmeier stand together as beacons of reconciliation and unity, carrying on the legacy of a shared European project and the values of freedom, equality, and brotherhood.
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- In Oradour-sur-Glane, the tragic memory of the SS war crimes against innocent civilians, including women and children, continues to echo.
- The tragedy occurred 80 years ago, when German soldiers brutally murdered 643 people in the small village of Oradour-sur-Glane in Western Europe.
- Emmanuel Macron, the French head of state, and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, his German counterpart, stood hand in hand at the commemoration site, symbolizing the transformation of enemies into friends.
- Steinmeier acknowledged the horrific acts committed by Germans at Oradour-sur-Glane and expressed regret for the failure to hold the perpetrators accountable after the Second World War.
- Oradour-sur-Glane was targeted by the 2nd SS Panzer Division "Das Reich" just a few days after the Allies landed in Normandy, resulting in a devastating massacre.
- Macron emphasized the importance of remembering the Oradour massacre and its impact on the French population under German occupation, using it as a catalyst for promoting reconciliation and unity.
- The French government owns the ruins of Oradour-sur-Glane, which serve as a powerful reminder of the atrocities commited during the war and a symbol of ongoing European reconciliation.
- Eideloth, a German woman whose grandfather was involved in Oradour-sur-Glane's wartime crimes, expressed her shock, anger, and gratitude for the village's locals who welcomed her with open arms.
- Steinmeier praised the local efforts in promoting reconciliation and encouraged a shared European project based on values such as freedom, equality, and brotherhood.
- Macron and Steinmeier, alongside their companions, walked among the remains of Oradour-sur-Glane, paying tribute to the victims of the devastating massacre.
- After the commemoration, Macron and Steinmeier emphasized the importance of standing against hatred and nationalism, particularly in light of recent right-wing party successes in European elections.
- The commemorative drum roll resounded in the village, serving as a reminder of the Second World War, the atrocities committed by National Socialism, and the ongoing need for reconciliation and unity in Europe.
- With the appearance of the two leaders, Oradour-sur-Glane once again became a symbol of healing and unity, as the world watched the head of states of France and Germany share a moment of solidarity.
