1970: This photo of a German chancellor went down in history. Why? | History Stories

On Dec 7, 1970, 25 years after the end of WWII, German Chancellor Willy Brandt knelt before the memorial to the victims of the 1943 uprising of Jews imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto. The image became a symbol for Brandt's concept of détente and the path of reconciliation with the Soviet Union, Poland and the GDR. In the 1970s, the Iron Curtain drew a line through Europe, dividing people, countries and families. In the midst of the Cold War, Willy Brandt responded to the foreign policy debate with the concept of détente. The Social Democrat declared that achieving a common understanding with the states in the East, first and foremost the Soviet Union, to be a core objective of West Germany's foreign policy. One of the most significant gestures embodying the essence of his policy was the genuflection in Warsaw. In this spontaneous act, Brandt asked for forgiveness on behalf of the Germans for the crimes of the Nazi regime. This gesture garnered him respect, especially from abroad, and a year later he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. On this episode of History Stories we explore how Willy Brandt helped secured peace in Europe and created elementary preconditions for an end to the Cold War and the division of Germany. Report: Rayna Breuer Commissioning Editor: Ricarda Otte #willybrandt #coldwar #nobelprize #dwhistoryandculture #politics #germany For more visit: https://www.dw.com/en/culture/s-1441 ⮞ Follow DW Culture on Facebook:   / dw.culture   ⮞ Follow DW Culture on Twitter: twitter.com/DW_Culture Please follow DW's netiquette: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G