From remembrance to reconciliation

In terms of rhetoric and in the form of symbolic gestures, Franco-German relations since 1945 have always seen a strong emphasis on diplomatically unifying acts of historic commemoration, demonstrated as early as 9 May 1950 by Robert Schuman’s speech, which linked the creation of the European Coal and Steel Community to the memory of the two world wars. The meetings between General de Gaulle and Konrad Adenauer, François Mitterrand and Helmut Kohl, François Hollande and Joachim Gauck or, more recently, Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel at Rethondes in 2018 have shown how commemorating is first and foremost about celebrating peace together. More than reconciliation between two countries, these important moments reflect the coming-together of two nations around a shared history. The 150th anniversary of the Franco-Prussian War, the First World War centenary and the shared Second World War commemorations prompted much enthusiasm from the public. Through the educational projects and exchanges they entailed, they also made French and German young people the European heirs of remembrance.