The Hindu : International : Schroeder visits father's grave

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 14, 2004

International

International

Schroeder visits father's grave

Berlin: The German Chancellor, Gerhard Schroeder, on Thursday paid his first visit to the grave of his father — a conscript in the Nazi army who was killed by Romanian villagers during the Second World War. The Chancellor laid a wreath at the spot where Fritz Schroeder was buried in the Romanian village of Ceanu Mare. The visit, during an official trip to Romania, marked the end of a long search by Mr. Schroeder, who discovered his father's grave only four years ago. Fritz was killed on October 4 1944, a few months after his son's birth, along with eight fellow German soldiers as they were retreating from the village. Mr. Schroeder stood alone in front of the grave for several minutes, officials said. Thursday's visit was off-limits to the public, but Romanian television showed pictures of the black marble tombstone engraved with Fritz Schroeder's name surrounded by red and pink hydrangeas. At a bar near the cemetery, villagers speculated that Mr. Schroeder would ask for his father's remains to be moved. — © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004

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