German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier expressed concern at the rise of nationalist and right-wing extremist forces in his country during a visit to Italy to mark the 80th anniversary of the World War II Marzabotto massacre on Sunday.
“Forces that wish to weaken or undermine democracy – in my country, of all places. That worries me,” Steinmeier said.
There was a greater responsibility than before to stand up and fight for the values of a united Europe and its democracies, he said.
Steinmeier described commemoration as a “responsibility for our history, especially for us Germans” so that what once took place could not happen again. This responsibility was without end, he said.
German Nazis murdered almost 800 people in Marzabotto, including numerous women and children, from September 29 to October 1, 1944, in retaliation for a partisan attack. It was among the worst massacres carried out by German soldiers on Italian soil during World War II.
During his speech, which he delivered in Italian, Steinmeier expressed sorrow and shame for the German crimes and asked the victims and their relatives for forgiveness.
