Seventy-five years ago today, in the early hours of 16 December, the horrors of war descended on the Ardennes. Seventy-five years ago today, the German Wehrmacht commenced one of the last offensives of the Second World War, a brutal battle in a war that had long since been lost.

Majesty, I thank you from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for the invitation to join you today in commemoration. I stand before you, and before all Belgians, humbly and gratefully in my role as President of the Federal Republic of Germany.

I am aware that my speaking here today is not something to be taken for granted. Here in Bastogne. Here in Belgium, which was invaded by Germans twice in the last century.

The German-British publicist Sebastian Haffner described the Ardennes offensive as an insane enterprise from a military point of view. It brought with it interminable suffering, destruction and death.

We Germans know about the suffering. We know about the pain. We know that many of you still wrestle with it today. Your fathers and grandfathers died in the battle or are missing. Your mothers and grandmothers had to endure starvation and destruction. Defenceless civilians were killed. The suffering is not something that only happened in the past. It continues to affect your families today. That is why it is so important for us to remember – and for us to engage in joint acts of remembrance and commemoration.

With sorrow I pay tribute to the victims from all nations. Those who died were victims of hatred, delusion and destructive fury which originated from my country.

Yet on this day I am also filled with a profound sense of gratitude. Your country, Majesty, reached out its hand to us – across the graves from two World Wars. Belgium gave us the gift of its willingness for reconciliation. You opened the door for us to be part of a peaceful Europe. For that, we Germans are deeply grateful.

Your Highness Grand Duke Henri, we are also grateful to your country Luxembourg, which suffered so severely as a consequence of these battles and the years of occupation. You, too, stretched out your hand to us in reconciliation.

Because of this – and only because of this – we were able to jointly lay the foundation for a united, peaceful Europe. Because of this – and only because of this – former enemies have become good neighbours. More than that, they have become friends. Friends who now enjoy close political, cultural, economic and military ties.

Here in Belgium is where Europe’s heart beats. Here in Belgium, the spirit of Europe is alive, here the idea of Europe is alive, and here it is being lived out! Hier in België leeft de Europese geest, hier leeft de Europese idee en hier wordt deze geleefd!

Ici, en Belgique, l’esprit européen vit! Ici, l’idée européenne vit et est vécue! That is a promise for us and for our future.

On this day we Germans would also like to thank the United States of America. The American armed forces – together with their allies – liberated Europe, and they also liberated Germany. We would like to thank you, the veterans, who put their lives on the line for the cause of liberation. We remain deeply indebted to this America, which accompanied and supported the democratic rebirth of Germany despite the War and the Shoah.

A united, peaceful Europe is the lesson we Europeans have learned from nationalist and racist extremism, from the war and from destruction. Please, let’s not forget that! Particularly in these days, when the allure of nationalism and ethnocentric thinking is once again increasing.

Today, we are the ones who together bear the responsibility for our united Europe. For Germany, which unleashed the last major war on European soil, this is a special and lasting responsibility. I want to say to all of you, Belgians, people of Luxembourg, Poles, Americans, Canadians, the British, the French and the Dutch, in my role as German President: we Germans are aware of our responsibility. We embrace that responsibility and we will pass it on.

The fact that today we are jointly engaging in this act of commemoration gives me hope. The path of reconciliation gives us hope.

Hope that in the future, our continent will continue to be united in peace and freedom.

Hope that together we can fight against new forms of resentment, racial hatred and nationalism, in the interests of democracy and freedom.

Hope that we will continue to pursue our common path. As good neighbours. As friends. As Europeans.

Thank you.