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220:, Brandt unexpectedly, and spontaneously, knelt. He remained silently in that position for a short time (about 30 seconds), surrounded by a large group of dignitaries and press photographers. Brandt had actively resisted the early Nazi regime, and had spent most of the time of Hitler's reign in
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as the final German border with Poland. Both actions attracted controversy within
Germany, as did Ostpolitik in general, which was supported by only a narrow majority of the people and had opposition within Brandt's own
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during a state visit to Poland in 1970. Perceived as a sign of profound humility, images of Brandt's action received world-wide attention. More broadly, the gesture came to symbolise
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While at the time, positive reactions may have been limited, his show of humility was a small but vital step in bridging the gaps
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At the abyss of German history and under the weight of millions of murdered people, I did what people do when language fails.
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was excessive, 41% said it was appropriate and 11% had no opinion. Brandt's victory in the next elections, in
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Brandt was repeatedly interviewed about the genuflection and about his motives. He later noted that:
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1970: This photo of a German chancellor went down in history. Why? | History
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was unveiled on 6 December 2000, in Willy Brandt Square in Warsaw (near the
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On the same day, Brandt signed the Treaty of Warsaw, which acknowledged the
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Unofficial translation of the above lines in a German interview of Brandt
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knelt in front of a memorial stone as an expression of apology for
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survey of the time, 48% of all West
Germans thought the
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1987 Polish political and economic reforms referendum
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622:"KNIEFALL ANGEMESSEN ODER ÜBERTRIEBEN?"
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626:Der Spiegel
606:20 February
501:Similar act
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168:gesture of
1275:Categories
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826:20°59′38″E
823:52°14′58″N
729:2023-04-22
639:2023-04-22
566:2023-04-22
544:References
359:In Germany
306:newspapers
242:Ostpolitik
178:Ostpolitik
724:1865-2263
634:2195-1349
598:History.
495:Egon Bahr
448:in 1971.
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252:Reactions
186:Holocaust
145: or
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