Bitburg controversy facts for kids
The Bitburg controversy was a big discussion in 1985. It happened when U.S. President Ronald Reagan visited a German military cemetery. This cemetery was in Bitburg, a town in western Germany. The visit was meant to celebrate the end of World War II in Europe. This was 40 years after the war ended.
The visit caused a lot of debate. People in the United States and around the world were upset. This was because some members of the Waffen-SS were buried there. The Waffen-SS was the military part of the Nazi Germany's SS group. The entire SS was judged to be a group that committed serious crimes. This judgment happened at the Nuremberg Trials.
People were also upset because President Reagan was not going to visit a former Nazi concentration camp. These were places where many people suffered terribly. Because of the controversy, a visit to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp was added to his trip.
Why Was It Controversial?
On Sunday, May 5, President Reagan and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl visited the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. President Reagan gave a speech there. He spoke about the terrible things that happened at the camp. He said that the people buried there "never to hope, never to pray, never to live, never to heal, never to laugh, never to cry."
He also said that from this sad time, "we can and must pledge: never again." This meant that such terrible events should never happen again.
President Reagan spoke about the controversy. He said, "This visit has stirred many emotions in the American and German people too." He added, "Some old wounds have been reopened, and this I regret very much, because this should be a time of healing." He hoped the visit would help people move forward.
Images for kids
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The cemetery after the ceremony
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President's Wreath
