European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 11, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes August 1985 von Weizsacker Speaks of nations nazi past West Germany head of state visiting a elementary school at Grafe Woehr in a photo moment of glory for West Germany by Susan Smith associated press West German president Richard von Weizsacker served As a Soldier in the nazi lost a brother on the polish front and helped defend his Diplomat father at the Nurnberg War crimes As his nations head of Hes gathering International Praise including an accolade from israels ambassador to Bonn for urging fellow West germans to confront their wartime when the unspeakable truth of the holocaust became known at the end of the All too Many of us claimed that they had not known anything about it or even suspected the president said in a speech May marking the nazis the 65yearold president added All of whether guilty or whether old or must accept the anyone who closes his eyes to the past is Blind to the israels ambassador to Yitzhak said Weizsacker remarks about the nazi past amount to a moment of glory for West Weizsacker words have particular importance for today West some of whom now say its time to leave the nazi past behind 40 years after the War his remarks have drawn an overwhelming response with 98 percent in Praise of the a spokeswoman for his office said jews from the United states and the Netherlands wrote to say they were and a German who moved to new Jersey sent the Christian Democrat president 40 White Heinrich the Nobel laureate West German author who died july called for Weizsacker speech to be published in West German the government has distributed copies of Weizsacker May 8 speech to two firms plan to release records of the and one of West Germany bestselling Johannes Mario says he will weave passages of it into a Large crowds cheered Weizsacker enthusiastically in june in the where Many people remain bitter about the cruel nazi a Christian Democrat who formerly served As mayor of West took Over the largely ceremonial five year presidency on july he Richard von Weizsacker during his speech May 8 marking nazi Germany capitulation 40 years a photo kept a relatively Low profile until the May 8 address to As the lawmakers listened Weizsacker went through the Long list of nazi victims Trade resistance the mentally there was the attempt by too Many not to take note of what was he whoever opened his eyes and ears and sought information could not fail to notice that jews were being deported there is no such thing As the guilt or innocence of an entire guilt everyone who directly experienced that Era should today quietly ask himself about his involvement he said the majority of today West germans Are too Young to have been involved in nazi and cannot be expected to Wear a penitential Robe just because they Are he the Young and old generations must and can help each other to understand Why it is vital to keep alive the germans had Only themselves to blame for the misery and division they faced at the end of the because they started the Weizsacker told a Stuttgart born has tragedy filled memories of the nazi his Soldier brother was killed on the polish front on the second Day of world War his Ernst von a top Diplomat in the nazi was convicted at Nurnberg after the War and spent 18 months in at who had risen to the rank of adjutant in the 9th Potsdam infantry helped defend his one army Axel von dem told the Young Weizsacker about having seen the 1942 murder of jews by nazi is troops in the occupied soviet according to Weizsacker authorized Werner Rimer and Heribert Weizsacker speech on May 8 attracted compliments even from the opposition social democrats and on july the Enid polling Institute said Weizsacker was West Germany mos liked politician favorite of 40 percent of people selected randomly