German, Polish Leaders Mark Start of WWII

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."

Michael gave us a really good overview about the role of the Bundespräsident in the German Constitution. But you need a littlebit more information to get the full picture. Since Michael and Wolf on one side and me on the other have different perceptions about the seriousness of our "Grundgesetz" (Constitution), they will probably stone me to death if I tell you, that a quite common expression of critical Germans in acquisition of the "Bundespräsident" is:

Grüßaugust (Greeting August).

To explain the term: "Greeting" from greeting the troops and the funny "August" is a traditional clown in the German circus.

;-))

To be fair it must be said, that the predecessor of Horst Köhler, Mr. Johannes Rau ("Kahn von Gutmenschistan" - Khan of the caliphate of the do-gooders), damaged the office of the Bundespräsident through his insufferable dullness. He was (and still is) famous for the most political correct, lutheran and boring blah blah! Therefore Köhler has a really hard job to do in earning the respect again, that the office of the Bundespräsident deserves, because many non-German friends had to listen to Raus dorky effusions during the previous years. Since I also have been forced to listen to him for more than one hour I know what torture means. I would prefer Abu Grahib to any official banquet together with our former president.

Anyway Köhler is a good man, a real friend of the Poles and he does everything that he can do.

P.S.

Someting funny: Only one of the forerunners of Rau was even more destructive to German foreign policy: When the German Bundespräsident Lübke visited Liberia in 1962, he started a speech with: Dear Ladies and gentlemen, dear negroes...

:-)

You said:

"...This is correct. I first heard her name here on Freerepublic, mentioned by a Polish FReeper..."

Sorry, but this is a shame. Steinbach is well known inside the politicallly informed German circles although she has no real political influence. I would estimate that maybe 20% of the German population know her.

Anyway it is quite probable, that the center of the expelled will be buildt, since Steinbach and her association are the core of the CDU. Angela Merkel is supporting the center because she wants to win elections. This will lead to some confusion within the Polish-German relations, but we all will survive it.

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