Queen makes first visit to ex-Nazi concentration camp

AFP, BERLIN: Britain's Queen Elizabeth II made her first trip to a former Nazi concentration camp yesterday, visiting Bergen-Belsen just over 70 years after it was liberated by British forces, on the final day of her state visit to Germany.
The 89-year-old queen was accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, 94, as she visited the site where at least 52,000 people from across Europe died during World War II, including teenage Jewish diarist Anne Frank.
She was due to see a memorial stone to the young girl, whose journal of her family's time hidden from the Nazis during the German occupation of The Netherlands has been read by millions around the world.
In April 1945, British forces freed the camp in northern Germany where Jews, political prisoners and other persecuted groups were held, taking pictures which gave the world the first visual proof of the Holocaust.
The queen is also due to lay a wreath and meet camp survivors and liberators.
At a banquet at Berlin's presidential palace earlier in the week, the queen warned against division in Europe, in a speech focused on historical references to the lessons of World War II, the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification.
In April, on the 70th anniversary of the camp's liberation, German President Joachim Gauck paid tribute to Britain for restoring humanity to the country, saying its forces led by example during the subsequent Allied occupation.
The event wraps up the queen's fifth state visit to Germany which included a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, a boat trip along Berlin's Spree river and a trip to the financial capital, Frankfurt.
Earlier, a German artist whose painting of a blue horse was presented as a gift to Britain's visiting Queen Elizabeth II, prompting a quizzical reaction over its "strange colour", defended her work Friday.
Nicole Leidenfrost told German newspapers that her art was about "having fun" and insisted the 89-year-old queen had liked the rendering of her as a little girl being led on a pony by her father, King George VI.
The modern artwork, based on a
photograph, was presented to the queen, who is on a state visit to Germany with her husband, Prince Philip, by German President Joachim Gauck at his Bellevue Palace earlier in the week.
"It's a strange colour for a horse", the queen is seen saying in a brief video circulating on the Internet, before adding: "And that is supposed to be my father?"
Leidenfrost shrugged off the reaction.
"It's about having fun! I don't do deadly serious art," she told the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, highlighting the symbolism of the horse's "royal blue" hue.
In an interview with Munich's Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the artist said the queen had only briefly looked at the painting but that it was visibly a "very cordial" situation.
"She laughed and was pleased. And that was exactly my goal," Leidenfrost said.
German commentators Friday also picked up on negative remarks in some British newspapers about the gift, with Berlin's Tagesspiegel defending "artistic freedom".
And several couldn't resist adding: "Never look a gift horse in the mouth".

 

Queen makes first visit to ex-Nazi concentration camp

AFP, BERLIN: Britains Queen Elizabeth II made her first trip to a former Nazi concentration camp yesterday, visiting Bergen-Belsen just over 70 years after it was liberated by British forces, on the final day of her state visit to Germany. The 89-year-old queen was accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, 94, as she visited the site where at least 52,000 people from across Europe died during World War II, including teenage Jewish diarist Anne Frank. She was due to see a memorial stone to the young girl, whose journal of her familys time hidden from the Nazis during the German occupation of The Netherlands has been read by millions around the world. In April 1945, British forces freed the camp in northern Germany where Jews, political prisoners and other persecuted groups were held, taking pictures which gave the world the first visual proof of the Holocaust. The queen is also due to lay a wreath and meet camp survivors and liberators. At a banquet at Berlins presidential palace earlier in the week, the queen warned against division in Europe, in a speech focused on historical references to the lessons of World War II, the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification. In April, on the 70th anniversary of the camps liberation, German President Joachim Gauck paid tribute to Britain for restoring humanity to the country, saying its forces led by example during the subsequent Allied occupation. The event wraps up the queens fifth state visit to Germany which included a meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel, a boat trip along Berlins Spree river and a trip to the financial capital, Frankfurt. Earlier, a German artist whose painting of a blue horse was presented as a gift to Britains visiting Queen Elizabeth II, prompting a quizzical reaction over its strange colour, defended her work Friday. Nicole Leidenfrost told German newspapers that her art was about having fun and insisted the 89-year-old queen had liked the rendering of her as a little girl being led on a pony by her father, King George VI. The modern artwork, based on a photograph, was presented to the queen, who is on a state visit to Germany with her husband, Prince Philip, by German President Joachim Gauck at his Bellevue Palace earlier in the week. Its a strange colour for a horse, the queen is seen saying in a brief video circulating on the Internet, before adding: And that is supposed to be my father? Leidenfrost shrugged off the reaction. Its about having fun! I dont do deadly serious art, she told the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, highlighting the symbolism of the horses royal blue hue. In an interview with Munichs Sueddeutsche Zeitung, the artist said the queen had only briefly looked at the painting but that it was visibly a very cordial situation. She laughed and was pleased. And that was exactly my goal, Leidenfrost said. German commentators Friday also picked up on negative remarks in some British newspapers about the gift, with Berlins Tagesspiegel defending artistic freedom. And several couldnt resist adding: Never look a gift horse in the mouth.