- Steinmeier speaks to Warsaw uprising fighters
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier began a visit to Poland by speaking with surviving resistance fighters from the Warsaw Uprising 80 years ago. Poland is marking the desperate revolt against German occupation with numerous events; Steinmeier is participating as a sign of remembrance of German crimes during World War II. "We Germans are aware of our historical responsibility, and we Germans must not forget," Steinmeier told the elderly men and women, some of whom had fought as 12-year-old children alongside the insurgents. Steinmeier is also scheduled to give a speech at the central memorial ceremony on Wednesday evening. After Roman Herzog in 1994, Steinmeier is the second federal president invited to speak at this important commemoration for Poland.
Eighty years ago, on August 1, 1944, the Polish Home Army attempted an uprising against German occupation. The Armia Krajowa wanted to drive out the Germans so that Poland could regain control of its capital as the Soviet army approached. However, the Wehrmacht and SS brutally suppressed the uprising in 63 days, committing massacres against the civilian population that rank among the worst German war crimes. Approximately 200,000 people were killed, most of them civilians. Warsaw was largely destroyed in retaliation.
Reparations remain a current issue for Poland
In the decades since, Poland has rebuilt Warsaw and its entire country. However, the devastation and enormous loss of life in World War II are why Poland, even as a current EU and NATO neighbor, continues to raise the question of reparations. The topic was also discussed during the German-Polish government consultations in Warsaw in early July. While the German government considers the question of reparations legally closed, it is seeking ways to deepen cooperation with Poland. For Steinmeier as federal president, the relationship with Poland and the remembrance of their difficult history play a significant role, according to the Federal President's Office regarding the trip.
The federal president is accompanied on his visit to Warsaw by Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth (Greens). On Thursday, Steinmeier is scheduled to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Warsaw.
During his visit, President Steinmeier reflected on Germany's historical responsibility during World War II and the Second World War, particularly in relation to the Warsaw Uprising. Despite Poland's significant rebuilding efforts since the end of the war, the impact of the devastation and loss of life during World War II continues to fuel discussions about reparations.
