(Aired on NPR Newscasts, 06June2009)
After making a speech in Egypt, President Barack Obama flew through Germany for a visit to Buchenwald, a former concentration camp. Tony Ganzer reports on the German reaction to the visit.
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Mr. Obama’s visit to Buchenwald dominated media coverage in the country, as reports praise Mr. Obama’s visit as a step in a new direction for European-US relations.
Major newspapers in Munich and Hamburg praised Mr. Obama’s 2-hour visit to Buchenwald, saying the US focus is now not entirely on the war on terror. Commentators said Mr. Obama has a unique opportunity to apply lessons learned in the past to events of today. German magazine Der Spiegel called Mr. Obama’s visit to Buchenwald more than just an appointment, but rather a personal chance to learn and remember.
The President in spending the day in Normandy, France as part of a D-Day commemoration.
For NPR News, I’m Tony Ganzer in Berlin.