Sudeten German Congress: what did the day achieve?
The traditional Sudeten German Congress was held for the first time in the Czech city of Brno over Whitsun weekend. The meeting of Germans who were displaced after the end of World War II took place under the slogan "Alles Leben ist Begegnung" [Life is about encounters] and was intended to foster reconciliation. There were critical voices in the run-up to the event and protests over the weekend. But the press is positive in its assessment.
Majority undeterred
Respekt columnist Tomáš Lindner takes stock of the event:
“While some [Sudeten German] visitors did not feel welcome, the vast majority were undeterred [by the protests]. Everyone I spoke to said they had enjoyed the weekend. The reality in Brno did not reflect the nationalist hysteria whipped up by the far right on social media in recent weeks – which, thanks to Prime Minister Babiš’s weakness, led to a parliamentary resolution against the meeting in Brno.”
Time for a critical review of the past
The Czech Republic still has a long way to go in dealing with the past, notes public broadcaster Český rozhlas:
“It is understandable that brutal acts of revenge were committed after the war. But must we still deny them, or even defend them? The Germans have acknowledged their Nazi past and apologised to everyone – including us Czechs. Some of our politicians have also apologised to the Germans, but as a society we have been unable to acknowledge the atrocities committed by previous generations after the war ended.”
Symbol of the European peace project
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung emphasises the hard work of peacemaking:
“The congress was made possible because Czechs and Germans came together, having worked patiently for the reconciliation of the two peoples over a long period of time and in the face of considerable opposition. They were prepared to tolerate opposing views, to recognise where their own side was at fault, to overcome reservations and mistrust, to acknowledge the suffering of the other as well as their own, and not to set one off against the other. ... This Sudeten German Congress stands for much more than itself. It reminds us that European unification is, above all, a great peace project.”