A German philhellene couple with strong ties to the Greek town of ancient Olympia have followed the example of their compatriots in Nafplion and Heraklion, Crete, offering their share of Germany’s war reparations to Greece that their state refuses to pay. According to Greek media, they informed the President of the Hellenic Republic, Prokopis Pavlopoulos, about their intention almost a month ago. In their letter to the Greek President, they explained the reasons that lead them to the decision of paying 300 euros to the Greek state. German author Wolfgang Decker has published several of his works on Ancient Greece and the Olympic spirit, while his wife Monica is an artist, whose works have been exhibited at Orpheus Gallery in ancient Olympia. They both love Greece and its culture and visit the country –and especially ancient Olympia- as much as possible. According to a local newspaper, the couple have spent long periods of time in the Greek town where they have formed friendly relations with the locals, including the gallery owner, Apostolis Kosmopoulos, who was the first person to find out about their letter to the Greek President. In their letter to Kosmopoulos the couple noted: “The letter we wrote to the Greek President makes us feel free before our next trip to your country.” Furthermore, they also noted that they consider their gesture as a humble one, which cannot erase the innumerable damages that the Germans caused during the Nazi Occupation.
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