Warning marks Dresden anniversary

President uses speech to spotlight extremism

DRESDEN, Germany — Germany’s president called Thursday for his countrymen to stand up to extremism and nationalism, warning that hatred and a desire for authoritarianism are on the rise again in Europe, including in his country.

Speaking at a ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the bombing of Dresden by Allied forces at the end of World War II, Frank-walter Steinmeier said it was important to recall who had started the conflict.

The man-made firestorm, captured by American author Kurt Vonnegut in his book “Slaughterhouse-five,” and the destruction of largepartsoftheeasterngerman city have become a rallying point for those seeking to portray Germans as victims in the war.

“It was Germans who began this gruesome war,” Steinmeier said.

“Wewon’tforgetthegerman guilt,” he added. “And we stand by the responsibility that remains.”

But Steinmeier said those who perished in the Dresden bombings deserved to be commemorated, just like those killed by Nazi Germany’s aerial bombings in Guernica, Coventry,naples,lehavreandthe Polish town of Wielun, where 1,200 people were killed by the Luftwaffe in the first hours of World War II.

Historians say the Feb. 13-15, 1945, bombardment of Dresden by American and British planes killed up to 25,000 people, including refugees and prisoners of war.

For decades, German nationalists have promoted the myth that as many as half a million civilians were killed in Dresden. The idea has been taken up most recently by members of the nationalist Alternative for Germany party, which has grown into a significant force in German politics since its founding seven years ago.

Steinmeier used his Dresden speech to warn about the dangers of nationalism.

“It’s not enough for democrats to shudder and turn away in disgust,” the president said. “We have to reject all forms of hatred and incitement, speak out against insults and counter prejudice.”

“We all, each in their own way, carry a responsibility for the way we live together and for the democracy in our country,” Steinmeier said. “That, too, is a lesson from the wrong track Germany took, which led to the destruction of Dresden.”

Robert Michael The Associated Press People form a human chain Thursday on the banks of the Elbe River, with the historical old town in the background, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the destruction of Dresden, Germany, during World War II by allied bombing.