The Federal President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, visited Crete last week as part of a three-day official visit to Greece at the invitation of the Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, He was accompanied by his wife, Elke Büdenbender.
The visit to Thessaloniki and Athens
Arriving in Thessaloniki on Tuesday 29th October, Mr Steinmeier visited the site of the city’s Holocaust Museum, which is under construction, accompanied by the Greek President. The site is near an old railway station in the city, from where tens of thousands of Jews were transported to Nazi concentration camps during the German occupation.
After being received by the Chairman of the Central Board of Jewish Communities in Greece and Chairman of the historic Jewish Community of Thessaloniki, David Saltiel, the German President met two women who survived the Holocaust, Rina Revach and Rosy Saltiel.
Later Mr Steinmeier took part in a discussion on Greek-German relations at the Goethe Institute before travelling to Athens, where he visited the offices of the German pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim and then the studio of the artist Theoclitos Triandafyllis, where he met participants in the Athens Biennale.
On Wednesday 30th October, Mr Steinmeier laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square before being received with military honours at the Presidential Mansion by Katerina Sakellaropoulou, with whom he held private talks. He then transferred to the Maximus Mansion for a meeting with the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
Later the Federal President visited the Numismatic Museum in the Iliou Melathron, the former residence of German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann, and then the German Archaeological Institute, where he attended a reception marking the 150th anniversary of its founding which takes place this year. In the afternoon he visited the reception centre for refugees at Malakasa and in the evening he attended a concert by the German cellist Tanja Tetzlaff at the Kerameikos Museum. The day ended with a dinner held in his honour by the Greek President.
The visit to Kandanos
On Thursday 31st October, the German President travelled to Crete, arriving at 12 noon in the square at Kandanos, the scene of one of the most notorious massacres carried out by German troops against the local population following their invasion of the island. There he met survivors of the massacre and victims’ relatives, some of whom refused to shake hands with him, while others stood shouting and carrying banners which read in Greek, German and English,“Justice and compensation”.
A large number of local government representatives, including the mayors representing the villages which suffered most heavily from German reprisals, were in Kandanos to greet Mr Steinmeier. They included the Regional Governor of Crete Stavros Arnautakis, Chania MP Dora Bakoyiannis, the mayor of Kandanos-Selino Antonis Perrakis, the mayors of Chania Panagiotis Simandirakis, of Platanias Giannis Malandrakis and of Kissamos Giorgos Mylonakis, the mayor of Rethymnon Giorgos Marinakis and the mayors of Anogeia Socrates Kefalogiannis, of Viannos Pavlos Baritakis and of Mylopotamos Giorgos Klados.
The couple listened to the comments of protesters (left), who received the visitors with banners which read in Greek, German and English “Justice and compensation”, and laid a wreath on the village war memorial. Photos: Despotakis Vagelis/YouTube.
A memorial service was conducted by Amphilochios, Metropolitan of Kandanos and Selino, and the German President and his wife laid a wreath at the village war memorial before proceeding to hall of the Kandanos Cultural Association where there was an exhibition of photographs from the time of the massacre.
The mayor of Kandanos-Selino, Antonis Perrakis, welcomed the German President, expressing the hope that the laying of a wreath – an act of special symbolism – would serve as a practical recognition of the need for the payment of compensation by the German state. “The Germans wanted to erase Kandanos from the map. Kandanos is here and welcomes you,” he said in conclusion.
In his speech, Frank-Walter Steinmeier said in Greek: “I would like to ask forgiveness in the name of Germany”. He emphasised that “the pain of the relatives [of the victims] is shocking” and expressed “horror and shame” for what the Germans wrote on the tablet they erected in 1941. “It is difficult for a German President to come to such a place. However it is not possible to come here without visiting this place… I thank you for being here today and allowing me to be here. You extended the hand of friendship to us and for that I am grateful to you.”
The full video of the German President’s speech (with Greek translation) and that of the mayor of Kandanos can be seen at https://en.protothema.gr
For the locals, the issue of compensation remains open, not only for the destruction wrought by the Wehrmacht, but also for the payment of the occupation costs demanded by Nazi Germany from the collaborationist Greek government during the German occupation in the Second World War. Generally referred to as the “Occupation loan”, this amount has been variously calculated as ranging from €3 to €64 billion and higher. However, although the issue was raised by both the Greek President and the Prime Minister in their conversations with the Mr Steinmeier, in reply he repeated the position of the German government, which is that the issue has long since been “legally settled”.
The visit to Terra Creta
On Thursday afternoon, the President and his wife visited the premises of the olive oil company Terra Creta in Kolymbari. There they watched the olive harvest and were informed about the cultivation and production of high-quality olive oil which is exported to many countries. During the visit, an olive tree was dedicated to the President and his wife Elke Büdenbender.
Top: The German President tries his hand at harvesting olives at the premises of Terra Creta in Kolymbari.
Left: An olive tree was dedicated to Mr Steinmeier and his wife Elke Büdenbender. Photos: www.tuigroup.com
The couple were hosted by Terra Creta executives Fotis Sousalis and Manolis Karbadakis and the visit was prompted by the company’s participation in the Field to Fork initiative of the TUI Care Foundation, which promotes sustainable farming practices and is part of the German travel group. Executives of the TUI Care Foundation were also there to greet them. According to the Foundation’s website, “With the Aegean region already facing significant desertification in some areas, TUI Field to Fork Greece will support 300 farmers on Crete and 200 on Rhodes to transition to regenerative agricultural practices by implementing a full learning and practice cycle. One of the key focuses of this support will be reducing the carbon footprint of agricultural products. Participating farmers are linked with 14 food production units and eight hotels to create better income opportunities, increase the offer of sustainable food products and raise awareness among staff and guests of regenerative food production.”
In a speech of welcome, Fotis Sousalis said:
“The German President’s visit to Crete and to the premises of Terra Creta is a great honour for us and is of particular importance, as it confirms our deep preoccupation with the Cretan soil and the production of high-quality extra-virgin olive oil. Our vision, to share the wisdom of the Cretan diet with the world, is safeguarded through the work of the Terra Creta Olive Academy, which combines theoretical education with concrete applications of the most up-to-date techniques of Intelligent Agriculture.
“Thus through our unbreakable bonds with local producers we have managed to produce not only a top-quality product, but a product that respects the environment and its locality. This visit motivates us to continue our efforts even more vigorously to become better day by day, as worthy representatives of our country in the international markets.”
(Haniotika Nea, Neakriti.gr)