German president asks country to confront its colonial past

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER
Associated Press

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s president has called on the country to face its cruel colonial past as he opened a new museum in the capital’s center that will be home to two of Berlin’s state museums which include looted artifacts from countries in Africa and elsewhere. Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Wednesday at the festive opening of the Humboldt Forum in Berlin that countries, especially in Africa, have lost an immense part of their art through the raids of Europeans in the past. He added that current problems of racism, discrimination and violence against those who are perceived as different and foreign in Germany are in some ways also related to Germany’s colonial past.