Steinmeier asks Poland for forgiveness on the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw uprising
On August 1st, the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 is commemorated. Led by the Home Army (AK) fighting in the underground, the rebellion lasted for 63 days before being brutally suppressed on October 2nd, much like the Jewish resistance uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto the previous year.
During the Warsaw Uprising, approximately 200,000 resistance fighters and civilians were killed by the German occupiers. The German forces then largely razed the Polish capital to the ground.
"We must not and we will not forget the immense suffering we Germans brought upon our neighboring country, with what brutality and annihilation intent the German occupiers acted against the entire population," said Steinmeier according to the speech text. "I ask, especially today and here, for forgiveness."
Steinmeier is not the first federal president to ask for forgiveness for the actions of the German occupiers during the Warsaw Uprising. His predecessor, Roman Herzog, had done so in 1994 on the 50th anniversary.
The Warsaw Uprising, Steinmeier continued, "belongs to the most heroic chapters of Polish history." It stands as an example "of the will to assert oneself, not to let freedom be taken away without a fight." He expressed great respect for "the courage, the death-defying readiness to fight of the fighters."
It is "almost a miracle" that Poland and Germany are now "good neighbors," Steinmeier said. It was "a long way" to get there. Both countries are now committed to "acting together and for our friends and neighbors in a solidarity and peace-promoting manner."
This is also evident in their support for Ukraine, said the federal president according to the speech text. Because "war is back in Europe, a cruel war of aggression" started by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He wants to destroy Ukraine, and he threatens us all," said Steinmeier. "Today's day also commits us to this: We will never again accept injustice and unfreedom, attack and occupation in Europe."
The annual report of the commemoration events for the Warsaw Uprising is meticulously prepared and critically reviewed each year. The findings from the annual report often highlight the importance of continued education about the historical events and their implications.
