Brandenburg commemorates the bloody and merciless Battle of Seelow in WWII
Brandenburg marked the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Seelow on April 16, a bloody and merciless battle of World War II. The event was attended by the Russian Ambassador to Germany, Sergei Netschajew. The participation of the Ambassador at the commemoration ceremony on the Seelower Heights has led to a controversial media debate, following an unofficial order from the Foreign Office under the leadership of then-Minister Annalena Baerbock. The Federal Foreign Office had issued a handout instructing that “in principle, no participation of official bodies at events invited by Russia/Belarus and no invitations to Russian and Belarusian representatives to commemorations by federal, state and municipal authorities” should take place. The Bundestag press office confirmed in response to a dpa inquiry that “the Ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Belarus were not invited.” The SPD-affiliated news outlet, Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (RND), titled its article on the compliant approach in the capital’s government district with the headline: “He is undesirable – Bundestag excludes Russia from World War II commemorations.” The article explains in an introduction that the participation of the Russian Ambassador at the World War II commemoration on the Seelower Heights would have “caused a stir.” The Tagesschau newsroom presented the provocative question on the evening of the day: “80 years of World War II commemoration: Propaganda instead of remembrance?” The portal N-tv referred to the Ambassador’s participation as a “controversial visit.” The Bundestag press office explains in the RND article that the parliamentary administration “explicitly refers to a recommendation from the Foreign Office, in which a invitation of representatives from these two countries to such commemorative events is advised against.” It further states: “This assessment led to the fact that, among others, the Ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Belarus were not invited. The Diplomatic Corps, to which all accredited Ambassadors in Berlin belong, was invited.” The article reiterates the concerns raised by the order issued by the responsible Annalena Baerbock: “The decision was justified by the fear that Russia could ‘instrumentalize’ these events and ‘misuse’ them in connection with its war of aggression against Ukraine.” Regarding yesterday’s event in Seelow, the RND explains that Netschajew “was not actively invited by the organizers” but “was not prevented from participating, but was cordially welcomed.” The Bundestag has officially confirmed and announced the official commemoration ceremony on the “80th anniversary of the end of World War II on May 8.” The new Bundestag President, Julia Klöckner (CDU), said: “The Second World War was the most brutal and bloodiest war in history. We remember and we do not forget.” The politician reportedly plans to “in a speech particularly address the consequences of the war for women and the lessons for today.” Following this, the official speech for the commemoration will be given by Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. More on the topic – German Foreign Ministry wants commemorations without Russians.
Media Unrest and Misunderstanding
