Prominent recognition - French President Emmanuel Macron commends Nazi hunters Beate and Serge Klarsfeld.
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, has awarded Beate and Serge Klarsfeld, an influential couple known for hunting down Nazi war criminals, with prestigious French honors. This ceremony took place during Macron's visit to the French embassy in Germany.
The Klarsfelds are renowned for bringing perpetrators of anti-Jewish persecution to justice and ensuring victims' faces are remembered. Macron described the couple as tenacious advocates for justice and people committed to preventing forgetting. Beate Klarsfeld, aged 85, was made a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor, while Serge Klarsfeld, 88, received the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor.
"They are fighters for remembrance and fighters for justice. Their work has united France and Germany, as they've forced us to confront our past," said Macron.
The Klarsfelds have been instrumental in exposing hidden Nazi criminals. In the 70s, they managed to track down infamous Gestapo chief Klaus Barbie, who had been hiding in Bolivia. Alongside Simon Wiesenthal, the Klarsfelds were prominent figures in the pursuit of Nazi criminals.
The couple has been active for decades in their mission to remember Nazi atrocities and oppose antisemitism. In the 60s, Beate Klarsfeld lived in Paris as an au pair and met her husband Serge, whose father was murdered in Auschwitz. Together, they published multiple works, including a book detailing over 80,000 Nazi persecution victims in France. They also put together a record of murdered Jewish children of France in a massive book. This Paris-based team has received recognition, including Germany's Federal Cross of Merit in 2015.
Beate Klarsfeld gained prominence when she attempted to slap Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger in Berlin on November 7, 1968. She wanted to draw attention to his Nazi past: Kiesinger was a CDU member who served in the NSDAP's radio department during the Nazi years. "Your fight against forgetting has transformed Germany's conscience," praised Macron of Beate Klarsfeld's relentless efforts. Meanwhile, Serge has worked relentlessly to prove French officials' complicity in the persecution of Jews.
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- The recognition from Emmanuel Macron took place during his visit to the French embassy in Berlin, highlighting the importance of the Klarsfelds' work in Germany as well.
- Beate Klarsfeld gained notoriety in Berlin in 1968 when she attempted to slap Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger, aiming to bring attention to his past affiliations with National Socialism.
- Outside of France, the Klarsfelds' contributions to history and justice have also been acknowledged in countries like Germany, where they received the Federal Cross of Merit in 2015.
- Recounting the history of National Socialism and the persecution of Jews in France, Beate and Serge Klarsfeld have published numerous works together, including a book documenting over 80,000 victims.
- France's President Emmanuel Macron emphasized the significance of Beate Klarsfeld's work in changing Germany's perspective on its past, recognizing her unwavering commitment to preventing forgetting.
- The Klarsfelds' pursuit of justice across borders led to the apprehension of Klaus Barbie, a former Gestapo chief, who had been living in hiding in Bolivia during the 1970s.
Source: www.stern.de
