Gauck: “An apologize to Greece was important”

Referring to his visit to the village Ligkiades Ioannina, where the SS executed more than 80 civilians, he described the emotional moments he lived, mentioning certain facts which were not disclosed by the media. "I was next to a man, the President Papoulias and his wife. As a young man he was a member of the resistance, but he stood by my side, full of confidence, because he felt that I wasn't there for the show. I was 5 years old when the war ended, I have no guilt for this war, but I felt the guilt of previous generations and showed it, I had to show it, when I found myself in such a place. Whatever he said and the feelings he showed me were so wonderful that in such circumstances, you feel that it is feasible to apologize. And after the meeting in Ioannina, where there is a small Jewish community with survivors, we hugged. I was so happy I was there as a representative of a new inclusive Germany" he said.

Indeed, according to Deutsche Welle, Gauck didn't hesitate to admit that he did not know the true extent of Nazi atrocities. "Before the visit in Greece, I dealt with the relevant literature and found that no one knew, nor I, the extent of our ancestors' atrocities. For eight years I was head of the club against oblivion and for democracy, where many people work. I also know about Distomo, where the Wehrmacht or the SS, did crimes. I know there are activists who go there to work reconciliation. But I never realized the actual dimensions of the crimes, even though I'm an expert in regard of the past" he added.