The visit of the German President Joachim Gauck to Greece and the issue of war compensations have been extensively commented on by the German media.
The newspaper “Der Tagesspiegel” stated that the issue of compensation is still open, noting that a possible reparation to Greece could lead to similar claims by other countries which were damaged by Germany during the Second World War. Historian Arnulf Baring told Bild that the aloofness of the German President regarding Germany’s obligations was sad.
The magazine “Der Spiegel” mentioned that, although Gauck praised the efforts of the Greek government and citizens to recover, he was tough on the question of war reparations. Deutsche Welle published an article entitled “German President Gauck dismisses Greek reparation demands for Nazi crimes” noting that he acknowledged Germany’s “moral debt” but reiterated the German government’s refusal to discuss the issue.
The newspaper “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” states that “Joachim Gauck rejected the claims of Greece, pointing out that the issue isn’t under his jurisdiction. However, at the same time he acknowledged Germany’s historical guilt for the atrocities against the civilian population.”
Süddeutsche Zeitung, one of the most important German newspapers, supported the Greek claims, noting that the Nazi’s monstrous crimes are a part of Germany’s history and that, under international law, Gauck’s rejection of war reparation isn’t politically correct.
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