The 80th anniversary of the Nazi atrocity at Oradour-sur-Glane, the scene of one of the worst atrocities committed by the Nazis during World War II, was commemorated with a memorial ceremony on Monday that was attended by French President Emmanuel Macron. In 1944, SS forces demolished the settlement, killing 642 residents.
A day after the far right made victories in European elections, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined Macron at the ceremony and cautioned against the risks of nationalism.
“It is appropriate that I say this the day after the European elections: let us never forget the harm done in Europe by hate and nationalism.”
At the event, Steinmeier remarked, “Let us never forget the miracle of reconciliation the European Union has worked.” Franco-German relations after World War II have been referred to by Macron as “the lifeblood of our European project”.
“It is in this memory, in the ashes of Oradour, that we have to ensure the strength of this reconciliation is reborn,” the president of France remarked.
Leave a Reply