“From Enemies to Friends”: German President Steinmeier Visits English City Bombed by Luftwaffe in WWII

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Coventry, the English city heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe in WWII, laying a wreath and highlighting how former enemies have become close partners. His visit aimed to strengthen UK–Germany ties.

Coventry: German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier took part in a wreath-laying ceremony in Coventry on Friday, a central English city that was heavily bombed by Germany's air force during World War II.

The ceremony took place on the last of a three-day state visit to the United Kingdom, where Steinmeier has sought to bolster ties between the former foes as Europe attempts to unite amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"Today, the arch enemies of the past have become close friends," Germany's official head of state said in a speech to the British parliament on Thursday, where he referenced his upcoming Coventry visit.

"Today, we stand side by side. Not against each other, but rather with each other – for freedom, democracy and the values that define Europe."

Steinmeier was accompanied by the Duke of Kent, first cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, for the ceremony at the ruins of Coventry Cathedral, which was mostly destroyed during a major bombing raid by the Luftwaffe.

The raid, which took place on the night of November 14, 1940, was the single most concentrated attack on a British city in World War II, Coventry City Council say.

Codenamed Moonlight Sonata it lasted for 11 hours and involved nearly 500 German bombers, destroyed over 43,000 homes as well as the cathedral and killed at least 554 people.

Coventry was targeted because it was an important industrial centre for arms production at the time.

The city is twinned with two German cities Kiel and Dresden, both of which were heavily bombed by Allied forces during the war.

Steinmeier's state visit, the first by a German president in 27 years, follows a trip by Britain's King Charles III to Germany in March 2023, his first overseas trip as monarch and the first by a British king in over a decade.

On Wednesday, Charles hosted Steinmeier at a banquet at Windsor Castle, where both hailed their countries' deep ties.

Steinmeier was due to round off his visit on Friday in Oxford where he will receive an honorary doctorate from the city's world famous university.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed)