Lessons for Germany on 70th Anniversary of V-E Day.doc

Lessons for Germany on 70th Anniversary of V-E Day The 70th anniversary of the end of World War II will bemarked in all but one European country this week. Germany lost the war, and has no plans to hold a special observance. VOA recently went to the German capital Berlin to report on how the conflict isconsidered and the effect it still has. In central Berlin, there is a huge memorial to the six million Jews killed duringWorld War II. Their deaths were the work of Germany’s Nazi Party. The memorial was built just 10 years ago, after much public debate. Twohundred meters away was the place from where German leader Adolf Hitlerdirected the war effort. It is the place where it is believed he took his own life. The area is now a parking lot, filled with cars. Visitors to the area -- like a woman named Tina, a retired journalist fromBritain -- say there are things to be learned from the war. “Even today, in our own country, there are extremist groups cropping up. And I am thinking that if ordinary, decent people do not do anything, there isalways a chance of history repeating itself.” Gerd Appenzeller is the former publisher of the Berlin newspaperTagesspiegel. He worries that the alliances that formed after the World War IIare weakening. He says younger Germans do not know what life was likeduring the war. He says, “The vast majority have gotten comfortable with freedom. Theygive little thought to the fact that this freedom is constantly in danger. Americais changing, global relations are changing, and the Germans and Europeanshave to unite and stay together, just to remain a relevant partner for the UnitedStates.” I’m Bob Doughty. VOA Correspondent Al Pessin reported this story from Berlin. ChristopherJones-Cruise adapted it into Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story cropping up – idiomatic to happen or appear, often unexpectedly vast majority – idiomatic this phrase is often use