Mrs. Schramek, President of the German

Mrs. Schramek, President of the German

Mrs. Schramek, President of the German-Canadian Remembrance Society,
Members of the Provincial Parliament and local authorities,
Representatives of German organizations,
Veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Liebe Landsleute,
On Monday, on Remembrance Day, I laid a wreath at the cenotaph in Toronto,
honouring the Canadian soldiers who died in the wars of the 20th and the 21st
century, many of them killed in wars against Germany. I went to lay my wreath
accompanied by my French colleague on the left and my Polish colleague on the
right. We are grateful that the integration of Europe has stopped enmity not only
for the dead but also for the living.
In this same spirit I welcome the Canadian veterans who join us today. Joining
in grief and remembrance reminds me of a word of Manfred Rommel, the
former Lord Mayor of Stuttgart and son of General Erwin Rommel, the Desert
Fox. Manfred Rommel once said: “After death all enmity must end.” This
sentence is a tribute to human dignity, to the right to be buried and grieved by
family and friends. By respecting this human dignity we do not pass judgement
on the rights and wrongs of a person’s life. But we respect that justice has been
transferred to another level, beyond our earthly reach.
Today, on Volkstrauertag, our German Remembrance Day, we therefore stand
here at the cemetery of Kitchener to commemorate the dead, the hecatombes of
dead of a dismal 20th century and beyond.
Today, we remember all victims of aggression and war – children, men and
women.
Wir gedenken der Soldaten, die in den Weltkriegen starben, der Menschen, die
durch Kriegshandlungen ihr Leben verloren oder danach, in Gefangenschaft, als
Vertriebene und Flüchtlinge.
We think of those who have been persecuted and murdered because they
belonged to another nationality or race or religion - or because they did not
conform to some inhuman ideal.
Wir gedenken derer, die ums Leben kamen, weil sie Widerstand gegen
Gewaltherrschaft geleistet haben, und derer, die den Tod fanden, weil sie an
ihrer Überzeugung oder an ihrem Glauben festhielten.
We mourn the victims of wars and civil conflicts, of terrorism and political
persecution. We mourn our fallen soldiers – Canadian, German and other
nationalities – in Afghanistan.
Wir trauern um jeden von ihnen - mit ihren Müttern, Partnern, Kindern und mit
allen, die Leid tragen um die Toten.
Let us pray that from mourning we learn to respect the other and live in peace
with our neighbors – as individuals and nations.
It is in this spirit that we join every year on Volkstrauertag, the third Sunday in
November, We are grateful to the German Canadian Remembrance Foundation
for organizing this gathering every year and for taking care of this dignified
place of mourning and rest. Mrs. Schramek, we all owe you and your team our
deep gratitude.
Thank you very much