This afternoon, President Lennart Meri met Erika Steinbach, member of the German Bundestag, at the Kadriorg Palace. Erika Steinbach is also the President of the German Union of the Deported. Erika Steinbach talked to the President about the activities of the Union of the Deported (Bund der Vertriebenen) and the future plans of the foundation Centre against Deportation, that had been founded last year. The Union of the Deported is an organisation uniting the organisations of members of the German minorities deported to Germany from the neighbouring countries during and after World War II, and their descendants. In 1999, the Union of the Deported conferred their highest decoration on President Lennart Meri.

The President of the Republic described to Erika Steinbach the current status of the investigation of illegal arrests and deportations during the Soviet and German occupation.

Erika Steinbach was a member of the Municipal Council of Frankfurt from the Christian Democratic Union in 1977-1990; from 1990, she has been a member of the German Bundestag.


Press Service of the Office of the President
Kadriorg, October 2, 2001

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