In a historic moment of reconciliation, Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has become the first German head of state to visit the Basque town of Guernica, paying tribute to the victims of the notorious Nazi bombing that occurred eighty-eight years ago.
A Solemn Ceremony of Remembrance
President Steinmeier joined Spain's King Felipe VI for a poignant remembrance ceremony at Zallo cemetery in Guernica, where he personally adjusted a ribbon in the colours of the German flag on a floral wreath honouring the victims. The ceremony marked a significant step in acknowledging what Steinmeier described as "terrible crimes" committed by Germans that must never be forgotten.
The bombing, which took place on 26 April 1937, saw planes from the German Condor Legion, operating alongside fascist Italian aircraft, spend hours attacking Guernica on market day. The assault resulted in hundreds of civilians killed and hundreds more injured, with Adolf Hitler having loaned the Luftwaffe unit to General Francisco Franco's nationalist forces.
Confronting a Painful Legacy
During his state visit to Spain, Steinmeier delivered a powerful speech at a banquet in Madrid, directly addressing Germany's responsibility. "Germans committed terrible crimes in Guernica," the president stated. "The feared Condor Legion bombed the city, razing it to the ground. Hundreds of defenceless children, women and men lost their lives in appalling, agonising ways."
Steinmeier emphasised that the terror, pain and grief is still felt by many Basque families today. His visit to the Reina Sofía museum to see Pablo Picasso's iconic anti-war painting Guernica reinforced his message that the artist's warning against indifference in the face of conflict "has lost none of its urgency".
Local Calls for Recognition and Justice
The historic visit prompted local leaders to renew calls for greater recognition of the atrocity. Guernica's mayor, José María Gorroño, who described the occasion as "a day that will go down in the town's history", repeated demands for Picasso's masterpiece to be moved from Madrid to the town that inspired it.
Meanwhile, Basque regional president Imanol Pradales called for the Spanish state to follow Germany's example in confronting its role in the bombing. "We're asking nothing more, and nothing less, from the Spanish state than what the German president is doing," Pradales told the Basque parliament.
The ceremony also included a visit to Guernica's Museum of Peace, where Steinmeier and King Felipe met two survivors of the attack, Crucita Etxabe and María del Carmen Aguirre, providing a personal connection to the historical events that continue to resonate nearly nine decades later.
