Posted on 09/01/2005 11:38:49 AM PDT by lizol
German, Polish Leaders Mark Start of WWII By RYAN LUCAS ASSOCIATED PRESS
GDANSK, Poland (AP) -
Sirens wailed and religious leaders led prayers for the dead as the presidents of Poland and Germany stood together solemnly Thursday on the Baltic peninsula where World War II began 66 years ago.
Horst Koehler is only the second German president to attend the annual ceremonies on the Westerplatte peninsula, following the example of his predecessor, Johannes Rau. His presence comes amid signs of deepening friendship between the former foes, despite some lingering bitterness.
More than 50 million people died in nearly six years of war launched by Nazi Germany - including an estimated 6 million Poles, half of them Jewish.
In 1939, Poland was invaded by Germany to its west and the Soviet Union to its east. After the Nazis attacked the Soviets, Poland came entirely under German control and subject to a brutal occupation. It become the hub of Hitler's program to exterminate Europe's Jews, under which 6 million were murdered.
At the ceremony on Westerplatte, Koehler and Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski walked to a monument to the war's first victims. They were killed on the peninsula in the Baltic port of Gdansk when a German warship began shelling a Polish munitions depot and garrison on Sept. 1, 1939, as the Nazis launched their invasion.
To the roll of military drums, Koehler and Kwasniewski walked behind soldiers, who placed large wreaths on their behalf, and bent over simultaneously to arrange the wreath's ribbons, each in the colors of their respective national flags.
The presidents then took two steps back, joined hands for a moment of silence and bowed toward the wreaths.
At a Gdansk high school later, the two stressed the need for tolerance between cultures, especially in fighting terrorism.
"It is just not enough to strengthen the secret services for the fight against terrorism but it's also necessary to advance dialogue between cultures," Koehler told the students.
Kwasniewski said that as a culturally homogenous society, Poland faces the challenge of learning to coexist with other ethnic groups as it attracts immigrants in the future.
Most of the Poland's 38 million inhabitants are ethnically Polish and Roman Catholic. But the ex-communist country, which entered the European Union last year, is beginning to draw immigrants.
"Following the Second World War, we are a country of one ethnicity. After the moving of the borders, after the tragedy of the Holocaust and the murder of Polish Jews, we don't have large minority groups," Kwasniewski said.
"However, I don't doubt that a wave of immigration will come to Poland," Kwasniewski said. "That will demand of us the ability ... to talk with full respect (with other cultures) and a readiness for dialogue.
"In this sense, Germans have behind them 30 to 40 years of experience, which would be very essential for us."
Ping
"Kwasniewski said that as a culturally homogenous society, Poland faces the challenge of learning to coexist with other ethnic groups as it attracts immigrants in the future."
What a crock of Sh&t. It's not the Poles who have millions upon millions of people's blood on their hand (*Germany, USSR*.) Why does the collective guilt spread to the victims?
Has the Japanese prime minister ever come to Pearl Harbor on December 7th?
I suspect Poland will be under a lot of pressure to accept multi-culturalism like their other Euro brethren, can't have homogenous countries anymore, don'cha know.
Why is Kwasnieski parroting the multiculti line that "we have to learn to get along?"
You could make an argument that some Poles were collaborationist, but as a whole it wasn't Poland that couldn't get along with its ethnic minorities and political dissenters. They didn't start WWII and I don't think their leader should be acting like they're complicit with this "accomodating immigration" talk, which is code for non-assimilant ethnic balkanization.
The Polish pres seems to be acting like Poland's homogeneity makes them a bunch of xenophobes. Now if you'll excuse me, my kielbasa is getting cold.
There is no collective guilt! Period.
"Why does the collective guilt spread to the victims?"
Collective guilt is spread so that the elite can have their way in ruling these nations. It is utterly sickening.
Even Jewish Freepers here have blamed Poland and petted USSR.
It all depends on how the blamers figure that their personal or collective interests dictate they can reap the best harvest.
But on the other hand, our (Polish) history shows that large minorities made us once great...
German president has only representative function or he is responsible for something more?
He signs the laws, he appoints the Cabinet, and the really important function is, that he may or may not dissolve the parliament on request of the Chancellor after a lost confidence vote (we had that in July this year). If the state is in a crisis, he gets important. Other than that, he is widely respected, since he represents the nation. Because the Federal President works more or less neutral, all parties pay much attention to his words. The power of the office is to make politics and change something through words. It is Mr. Köhler who pushes hard for strong reforms on our economy. And you can see that he is working on good relations with Poland, that he chose your country for his first visit to the foreign, he was born on your soil, and now this state visit. By the way, the President is member of the same party like Erika Steinbach or future Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Ouch! Muzzle limbs in Poland too? NFG!
Btw How big influence has Putin on German voters? :-)
I would be VERY surprised if more than one or two percent of all Germans knew who Erika Steinbach is. Probably less.
Apart from the fact that she is a member of parliament (the Bundestag) she and the "Bund der Vertriebenen" aren't important players in German politics. That might have been different in the 1950s, today she's just a lobbyist among many.
So, frankly, noone here in Germany really understands the fuss the Polish make about Erika Steinbach.
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