Mitterrand and Kohl holding hands in Verdun

The photo of the handholding on a CDU poster for the 1989 European elections.

French President François Mitterrand and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl held hands during a 1984 Franco-German ceremony to honour the dead at the Douaumont Ossuary, near Verdun.[1][2] The gesture became a symbol of the reconciliation of Franco-German relations.[3][4]

The handholding took place on September 22, 1984, in front of a catafalque placed at the entrance to the Douaumont Ossuary, during a ceremony to honour those killed in World War I and World War II.[5][6]

Unplanned, the President of the French Republic, François Mitterrand, spontaneously held hands with the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Helmut Kohl, as they stood together to listen to the French anthem, immediately after the German anthem had been played.[7][8][9]

Plaque commemorating this moment installed in front of the Ossuary. The inscription reads: "On September 22, 1984, the President of the French Republic and the German Chancellor met on this French military cemetery for the first time in the history of the two peoples. In memory of the dead of the two world wars they laid wreaths and declared: "We have reconciled. We have come to understand each other. We have become friends." François Mitterrand Helmut Kohl"

See also

References

  1. ^ "MITTERRAND AND KOHL HONOR DEAD OF VERDUN". The New York Times. Reuters. 1984-09-23. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  2. ^ "Bundeskanzler Helmut Kohl und Frankreichs Staatspräsident Francois Mitterrand reichen sich in Verdun die Hände". Geschichte der CDU (in German). 2014-05-07. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  3. ^ "François Mitterrand et Helmut Kohl, une photo historique qui symbolise l'amitié franco-allemande". Europe 1 (in French). 2017-06-16. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  4. ^ Gunkel, Christoph (2009-09-22). "Kohl und Mitterrand in Verdun". Der Spiegel (in German). ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  5. ^ Saunier, Georges (2014-12-15). "Verdun : le geste Mitterrand-Kohl – Institut François Mitterrand". Institut François Mitterrand (in French). Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  6. ^ Noll, Andreas (2017-06-17). "Der Frankreich-Versteher – DW – 17.06.2017". dw.com (in German). Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  7. ^ Dartois, Florence (2022-08-05). "22 septembre 1984 : François Mitterrand et Helmut Kohl scellent la réconciliation franco-allemande à l'ossuaire de Douaumont | INA". ina.fr (in French). Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  8. ^ "Handschlag zwischen François Mitterrand und Helmut Kohl - Die Kulissen eines historischen Fotos: 22. September 1984". Frankreich Diplomatie - Ministerium für Europa und auswärtige Angelegenheiten (in German). 2015-01-27. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  9. ^ "Verdun : François Mitterrand et Helmut Kohl main dans la main pour l'Histoire". Franceinfo (in French). 2016-05-26. Retrieved 2024-04-19.