The President of the Federal Republic of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, delivered a heartfelt speech on Friday In honor of the victims of the bombing of Guernica in 1937During the Spanish Civil War at the hands of the German Condor Legion.
In the pavilion of the cemetery in the town of Biscay, officials from the German embassy in Spain laid a wreath under the eyes of Steinmeier, accompanied by King Felipe VI. After laying the wreath, the German president approached the temple to rescue someone A minute of silence for the souls of the victims.
The gesture of fairness was the focus of the day, Steinmeier’s third state visit to Spain, which began in the morning, when the president arrived in the Basque Country to visit the country. Received it from him lehendakari Imanol Pradales In the Palace of Agoria Enea, the seat of the Basque government in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Then they both went to the Zalo Cemetery in Guernica, where they were received by King Felipe VI.
Steinmeier participated in the memorial service, an unprecedented gesture by a German head of state towards the victims of the Guernica bombing, accompanied by his wife, First Lady Elke Bonder. They attended the event Representatives of Basque institutionsSuch as the Speaker of the Basque Parliament, Bakartxo Tigeria; Government Delegate in the Basque Country, Marisol Garmendia; The Attorney General of Bizkaya, Elixabet Etxanobi or the Mayor of Guernica, José María Goronio, among others. Two survivors of the bombing 88 years ago, Crocita Etxabe and Marie Carmen Aguirre, also attended the event.
They also attended the event Representatives of Basque political parties, with the exception of the EH Beldo PartyWho refused to attend the events, under the pretext that they considered the presence of Felipe VI “hurtful.” Among those attending the tribute were EBB President of PNV, Aitor Esteban, along with Jeltzale’s spokesman in the Basque Parliament, Joseba Díez Antxustegi; Secretary General of PSE-EE, Eneko Andweza, accompanied by Eken Rico; President of the People’s Party, Javier de Andres, with Laura Garrido; General Coordinator of Somar Alba Garcia and the Party’s Parliamentary Representative John Hernandez.
Before the presentation of flowers and the minute of silence, the Choral Society and the Texistolares of Bilbao performed the musical piece “Guernica”, by Pablo Sorozabal, and five rings were heard from the bell located next to the shrine of the bombing victims. This bell was located in the church of San Juan de Ibarra, which was destroyed by bombs, and the person responsible for ringing it today is the employee of the Guernica City Council, Fernando Malasetxperia.
President Steinmeier’s day in Guernica, which concludes his visit to Spain, includes a visit to the Peace Museum in the town of Biscayan.