An especially historic ceremony to remember the victims of the bombing of Gernika

In an unprecedented ceremonial act, marked by profound historical significance and intended to symbolise coexistence and remembrance in the face of barbarity, King Felipe VI, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Imanol Pradales joined together on Friday to commemorate all those who died as a result of the fascist bombing of Gernika in 1937. They did so right where so many of the fallen lie, in the Zallo cemetery in this Basque town, very close to where the bombs fell. The ceremony was held in silence, with great solemnity and accompanied by the tolling of church bells.

The day carried enormous symbolic weight. Never before had a German president visited Gernika. Nor had a King ever taken part in an act of atonement for the victims of the barbarous act committed by the German Condor Legion and the Italian air force in support of Franco's troops in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. Then, last Friday, 88 years later, the image of two heads of state and a Lehendakari (president of the Basque government) laying a joint wreath in memory of the 100 or so who died on that 26 April marked a major turning point.

Steinmeier, accompanied by his wife, could not hide his emotion at a simple yet poignant tribute, deeply marked by the memory of what happened. Under strict protocol and heavy security, King Felipe, Steinmeier and Pradales led the solemn homage that lasted nearly half an hour, during which the Bilbao Choir performed Pablo Sorozabal's 'Gernika'. Five peals of bells were rung and two officials from the German embassy laid a wreath adorned with the German flag. Before the ceremony began, all the dignitaries, including the King, greeted Crucita Etxabe and Mari Carmen Agirre, two survivors of the attack who were just children back in 1937.

King Felipe VI's visit to the Basque parliament (Casa de Juntas) comes at a time when the Lehendakari himself has increased pressure on the Spanish government to apologise for the bombing, a demand echoed by the Basque National Party (PNV) and EH Bildu, which has called for a protest against the King's presence in the town. This demand is not shared by either the Socialist party or central government, as they maintain the attack was perpetrated by coup plotters, not by the legitimate government of the Spanish Republic, of which democratic governments are the rightful heirs.

But the image that everyone was intending to portray on Friday was one of unity. A profound solemnity and respectful silence filled the cemetery where some of the victims of that day in 1937 are laid to rest. In addition to the King, the German president and the Lehendakari, other dignitaries and representatives attended from the provincial councils and political parties from across the region, delegates from central government, the mayor of Gernika, president of the Basque parliament and the Secretary of State for the EU. These officials and more were joined by pupils from Gernika's secondary school and the German School to ensure that the younger generations do not forget the massacre.

The ceremony followed on from the formal dinner held on Wednesday at the Royal Palace, where the King thanked Steinmeier for his visit to Gernika and described the bombing as "a reminder of the horror to which totalitarianism leads". The German president's presence complements the step taken in 1997 by his predecessor, Roman Herzog, who sent a letter to the residents of Gernika in which he asked for forgiveness on behalf of all Germany for what had happened half a century earlier.

Hours before the ceremony at the cemetery, Steinmeier was received by Pradales at Ajuria Enea Palace and then all three figureheads travelled to the Peace Museum in Gernika to speak with several survivors. In the afternoon, the German leader continued his Basque travels, heading to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim Museum.