German wreath at the cenotaph

This has been a fascinating thread to follow - full of passion and propriety for both pov's.
You may find 'On the other side. To my children:from Germany 1940-1945' by Mathilde Wolff-Monckeberg an enlightening read,
....also Jerrard Tickell's 'Odette', the story of Odette Sansom's moving and courageous survival from the Gestapo.

The Wonderful Man has just come home from having a meal and then spending the evening at a football match with the youngest of the Afghan boys we fostered (he's now a young man of nearly twenty one). He said the lad was recalling his first meeting with me and told how he was frightened to come to our house for his first English lesson with me because he knew our son-in-law had recently been killed in Afghanistan. He told my husband tonight that I gave him a big hug (I have no memory of that, but it sounds likely ) and how much it meant to him. He then went on to say that he has probably told at least a hundred people the story of how he came to live with us.

He is Muslim, we are Christians - in telling our joint story I hope and pray that he and I are going some way towards breaking down the barriers of mistrust and bitterness and are instead building trust and the hope of reconciliation.

Surely if we are to have peace we have to begin with ourselves and learn to let go of anything that feeds bitterness and anger, how else will we achieve the aim of restoring peace?

Grannyactivist, the children at the DGC's school sang this hymn at their Remembrance Service with such sincerity:

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let There Be Peace on Earth
The peace that was meant to be

Your sentiments exactly

Is the OP seriously suggesting that we hold a grudge against Germany for the WWI, which we all know was an unjust war, where all the soldiers were victims.

No Coyoacan, I am not suggesting that at all, and never expressed the words "hold a grudge" in my OP. I am simply suggesting that we should have considered the feelings of those brave servicemen and women of WW2 who are still alive who may hold the view that the nation they fought against to maintain our freedom should not have been given the privilege of laying a wreath at our national memorial, until any living memory of that particular war had passed. I agree entirely that we should look to the future and promote peace, but it has to be at the right time and having taken due consideration of the feelings of those who were involved in that particular conflict. I absolutely respect the views of those posters who disagree with me, but please offer me the same courtesy and don't use words that skew my OP.

I am not so certain about those who served in World War II, but I would make an educated guess that who served in World War I would have no objection to a German wreath 100 years later.

I think it was a nice thing. Nobody really wins in a war, do they? Everyone suffers. I like that we have more acceptance of the white poppy for peace now too, and a that a purple one exists to remember all the animals who also die in our stupid conflicts.

Nobody really wins in a war, do they?
No, they don't - but at least Hitler was defeated, to the relief of many Germans too.

Anyone who has read All Quiet On The Western Front knows what a hideous time the German troops endured in WW1.
DH and I were once at a party organised by a German shooting team. During the evening one of the Germans stood up and apologised to all the British guests for WW2. 70 years on it seems time to move on.

It was good and interesting for me to read the sentiments here. As a German born in the sixties I married an English man in the eighties and moved here shortly afterwards to raise my family and I have not dared to attend rememberance days in the past 30 years as I felt I would not be welcome. Maybe I will join next year?

Lumarei I hope you do join in the commemorations next year and that you will find yourself warmly welcomed.

Of course it was positive to have the German wreath laid at the cenotaph.

My father was in the Med Fleet in WW2, luckily he was too young to be involved in the Battle of Crete in 1941 where so many allied sailors, soldiers and Greeks were killed. The Battle is commemorated at many events on Crete around 21 May each year. There are commemorations is many small villages, which have a sign giving the name of the Martyred Village. The memorials in those villages list all the local men and boys aged 14 - 80 who were killed by the Nazi's in retaliation for resistance.
At the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Crete, as well as the wreaths laid by members of the allied services and Greek resistance fighters, young German paratroopers laid a wreath. There was a silence as they marched forward, then spontaneous applause in a spirit of reconciliation.

MaudLillian, I don't believe that WW2 can be put into the category of a 'stupid conflict'. I don't know how else Hitler and his murderous regime could have been stopped.

I have been in England most of my life, but was born in Germany so was both happy and moved that the German president and wife were part of the proceedings this year. It’s been 100 years. It was the right thing to do.

German soldiers fought for their country as did ours. They were someone's son/husband/father. All the deaths should be remembered and commemorated.
But inviting supporters of terrorism to Buckingham Palace....I will have to think hard about that.

There, but for the grace of God go I.....

Arriva buses are a German owned company (Founded 1938, Deutsche Bahn)
Our local Arriva company displayed
Remembrance day 1918 to 2018 messages on
all their bus destination signs
Last we forget was one such message.

I went to see the tributes at the cenotaph and the field of remembrance where I have a relative remembered. It was good to see the German wreath at the centre.

IMO we should ask the Russians too. They lost millions and were instrumental in victory.
Read 'Stalingrad'.

If I heard the commentary correctly the German ambassador who laid the wreath had a Polish parent. Poland suffered throughout WW2 and afterwards.

This thread has some thoughtful and civilised posts which are moving to read. If only everyone could accept that we are one species on our planet and treat each other with respect for differences the world would be a better place.

Agreed Elred

Yes, Elred, I agree with you.
I saw an amusing Christmas card the other day: 3 women on a motorbike with a sidecar. The text:
Three Wise Women
would have asked directions,
arrived on time, delivered the baby,
cleaned the stable, made a casserole...
and there would have been Peace on Earth

I am sure there were load of young Germans who had no desire at all to be sent to fight. Their loss, when killed ,was no less felt by their loved ones than our soldier's loss to their families . A relative who was a POW for 6 years years told me that the Austrian guards were harder on them than the German ones were. Sad as I love Austria .

Love the card Greta made me chuckle