When Pictures Make Politics

German President Gauck recently took part in a memorial ceremony in France to mark the June 1944 massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane. In doing so, he closed one of the last gaps in the process of coming to terms with the German-French past. A plethora of symbols has grown up over the years, but the work of communicating and reaching mutual understanding must continue. Shared gestures are of great importance to the countries’ largely pragmatic cooperation. The art lies in finding the right images.