the Kniefall as one of the main reasons for his recognition, and it is thought to be one of the reasons he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1971. A monument to Willy Brandt was unveiled on 6 December 2000, in Willy Brandt Square in Warsaw (near the Warsaw Ghetto Heroes Monument) on the eve of the 30th anniversary of his famous gesture. Brandt's memories Brandt was repeatedly interviewed about the genuflection and about his motives. He later noted that: (German original) "Am Abgrund der deutschen Geschichte und unter der Last der Millionen Ermordeten tat ich, was Menschen tun, wenn die Sprache versagt" (English translation) At the abyss of German history and under the weight of millions of murdered people, I did what people do when language fails. Egon Bahr, an eyewitness and Brandt's friend and political ally of many years, recalled in a 2010 interview: "The only thing he said was that in that moment facing the ribbon, he thought: Just laying the wreath is not enough." Similar act During a visit to the former Seodaemun Prison in Seoul in August 2015, former Japanese prime minister Yukio Hatoyama knelt in front of a memorial stone as an expression of apology for Japanese war crimes in World War II. See also Letter of Reconciliation of the Polish Bishops to the German Bishops References External links Photo of the Kniefall (photographer: Engelbert Reineke) Cover of German news magazine "Der Spiegel" with image of Brandt in front of the monument (photographer: Sven Simon) Photo of the Kniefall including wreath, Photographer Hanns Hubmann History of Warsaw Holocaust commemoration Germany–Poland relations 1970 in Poland 1970 in Germany 1970 in international relations Kneeling Willy Brandt