♪ >> hello and a very warm welcome to "european journal," coming to you from dw studios in brussels. good to have you with us. here is coming up -- a watery grave -- a german war tragedy in poland. sites off the beaten path in prague. from all over europe flocked to poland and ukraine to follow the continent's biggest sports event. it is hard to imagine some times that just a couple of decades ago, this would not have been possible. too tensse were relations

between eastern and western europe. this bet -- the second world war left some deep scars, which germans and poles have been striving to heal. >> 67 years ago in this idyllic spot, a plane crashed on march 5, 1945. it is a 20-minute drive from a popular seaside resort on the baltic. until 1945, it was part of german territory and had a large german population. in winter 1945 with the russian red army continuing its advance, the occupation authorities that up an airlift to evacuate germans from the area. planes departed loaded with the back kiwis, mainly women and children. normally a seaplane such as this one holds 17 passengers. during the airlift, they were crammed full with up to 80 people. on march 5, a plane carrying

four crew members, 10 adults, and 60 children took off. a 14-year-old who was fleeing the area with his family saw what happened. >> the plane took off. i watched it from the ground. what i saw is that the plane flew up, tipped mid-air, and fell into the water. >> he has his own theory about the crash. >> i believe the aircraft was overloaded. >> others disagree. they believe the seat plane was shot down by a russian tank. one woman survived. everyone else died. >> after it crashed, i saw one wing of the airplane, and that is it. the sirens went off right away, but nothing really happened after that. basically, there was nothing to be done.

the airplane site right away down to the mud where it still is today. >> elsa and her 3-year-old son were among the evacuees boarding that date. her mother was also there, but the officer in charge did not let her on the plane. >> the soldiers said their orders were mothers and children only. my grandmother was turned away. then my mother said we would not go either. she told my mother to fetch me off the plane. he was not happy, but he did it because they were in a hurry. >> that chance occurrence saved their lives. just a few minutes after they got off the plane, it took off. later, they always remembered march 5 as the day they were given a second chance at life. >> later, my mother described the way the engine suddenly howled.

everyone looked up and saw the plane fall into the water, tail down. >> that is where the rate remained. in the decades after the war, the area here was a prohibited military zone. after the collapse of communism, the polish state had little interest in reawakening memories of the incident. it took us months to obtain permission to send some divers down. the red dot in the sonar image on the left pinpoints the representative. on the right, the circles show it scattered over an area about 8 meters in diameter, but there's still no saying whether the red would be easy to salvage or whether it would break apart. the president of a german charity also warns that there is

no telling what conditions the remains will be in. >> we just do not know. with the children, it could be that their bones have dissolves entirely, but the remains also may be largely preserved. it just depends on how much sludge there is covering the remains. >> visibility in the lake is very poor. divers can barely see their own hands in front of them. the lake is only 5.5 meters deep, but six hours later, our divers still have not found anything. the divers say they will probably have to set up both have walls and pump the water out of the lake to know for sure. that is an expensive proposition. it will cost over 100,000 euros, which will have to be raised through donations. at the moment, the german and

polish governments seem disinclined to step in. >> salvaging the wreck will be very difficult, very expensive, and a lot of work, but we cannot just leave it there. this lake is used by fishermen, sailors, surfers, motorboats. how can we allow people to use the lake for recreation whenpt'y down there? >> but others disagree. some of the families of the victims say it would be better to let the dead rest in peace. that is what the nephew of one of the pilots believes. >> it is very beautiful there. when i saw it, i thought it was it the sting -- fitting resting place. in his own way, it is a good place for him. i suppose i would say he is resting comfortably down there. >> the representative should be left in peace? >> yes, that is what i think.

>> in the end, all we find are some small aircraft parts, but people have been bringing its and pieces of the wreckage to the local museum for years. once they even found a child shoe. >> one hand what is the other. it is a saying that is interpreted differently across europe. it is often a small step from doing some of favor to bribing them. the czech republic ranks worryingly high in terms of corruption. many in fact feel that there authorities are not doing enough to combat corruption, but how do you expose them? some have thought up a new way. >> this looks like any one of the guided tours are offered in prague. the tour guide tells the story of the city administration

building which was sold for peanuts to a company but then rented at the back. >> the building deserves our attention. the city authority has not sat here for very long, but it has already become a landmark of corruption. i to be a pity if ownership details were clear. then this memorial to corruption would be destroyed. >> city hall is open to everyone, even the groups of tourists. visitors are taken past the offices of the city administration and are told in great detail which ones are tainted by the with of bribery and who wasted how many millions most likely to earnings from the deals. >> of course, no one at city hall wants to respond to these accusations. we are told there is plenty in the czech republic for this unusual guided tour of the show

and that the checks are among the world's leaders in bribery. this is the tunnel initially planned to cost 1 billion euros, already an outrageous price, but costs have continually risen by hundreds of millions of euros. but for that price, the building contractors have treated themselves to a spokesman. >> i think it is pretty strange. i am surprise. it is all presented in a really biased way. he cannot explain everything in the 10 minutes that they are here. >> explaining how corruption works here. >> i think we should go beyond that. there are very different reasons. just blaming corruption is too easy.

>> the tours are often are -- offered in german and english. the agency certainly cannot complain of a lack of interest. >> we are very happy with how it is working. we are also very optimistic because the growth of corruption in the czech republic is very stable, so we think our agency will continue to be successful in the future. >> these students of tax law from germany are listening to explanations of which high- ranking politicians are currently in prison and which are not. they are guided past seductively impressive villains and cars. even experts from germany are surprised by how widespread corruption is your. >> if i have understood correctly, czech citizens consider this a normal state of affairs. that is simply how it is. no one gets upset. it is quite shocking, really. >> the normalcy of corruption is presented with an ironic smile.

the state of affairs could cause dismay abroad. many of these lovely projects were partially funded by the european union. corruptours is pleased. when corruption goes too far, people might just have to get out and push. >> emotions are running high in the current crisis in the e you. european leaders met again a few days ago and agreed it should be easier for ailing states to get money. many said this was a personal defeat for angela merkel, the german chancellor who has also been nicknamed madam austerity. she has had to take a lot of blame for strict reforms and public spending cuts, especially in greece where memories of german oppression have been deeply entrenched since the war. >> being greeted by total strangers is nothing out of the

ordinary. he tells them about his experiences. the mass graves for tens of thousands of greeks who starved or froze to death during the nazi occupation, and the graves for those who were executed. >> this grave is just for those who were executed in athens between may 1 and august 7 1941. >> during that time, almost 1500 people were killed. they included his brother. he is known as the defiant ones. he was jailed by the nazis, the italian occupiers, and later by greek fascist collaborators. after the war, he was sentenced to death by the right-wing government, but an international public outcry led to the commander calling off the

execution. from early on, he was a left winger and belonged to the communist party. now he is a member of the coalition of the radical left, led by alexis suppressed. it is not as authoritarian and dogmatic, he says. >> edge is a symbol of the left overcoming its own barriers. he is a national hero and does not speak only for the left but for the whole nation, for the people. >> he became a national hero in 1941 when he climbed onto the acropolis to tear down the swastika flag. he was 18. it is a scene that generations of greek school children have drawn ever since. he was jailed and given the death sentence. he was given a reprieve after contracting severe tuberculosis. asked to return to the acropolis for the cameras, he refuses. he does not wish to be reduced

to this one action, he says. there is more to him than that. instead, he shows us a hammer, which he says has nothing to do with communism but with his honoraria doctorate in geology, one of his passions. he is also enthusiastic linguist, and he has been a mayor. he explains his divers pursuits are his attempt to fulfil the legacy of all his comrades who died in his arms. two years ago in march, he was at the front of a demonstration against austerity measures. the whole country, including his political opponents, were stunned when a police officer sprayed him with teargas at close range, rendering him in mobile. he had to be carried away. he declined to file a complaint, instead preferring to talk to the young police officer was in hospital. talking has always been

important to him. in 1963, he told the then soviet leader, nikita khrushchev, in moscow that he saw communism as government by the people, but that the soviet union had failed year. he grows very solemn when we ask to see photographs from his younger years. he leaves the room and returns with a frame. he explains -- this is the lining of his brothers cap. he wrote, "dear mama, today i will go to my execution. i will fall for the greek people." the note makes him sad, but proud. his brother did not write, "i will be taken to my execution," but "i will go pick a proud and defiant -- but "i will go." proud and defiant. >> germany is a democratic

country thanks in part to the greeks. angela merkel should recognize that. >> a legislative term is four years in the greek parliament, and even though he turns 90 in september, he is defined he will see the whole time through. >> some say greece could soon also benefit from what was agreed at the eu leaders meeting after long hours of negotiations. a deal was struck but lifted some of the conditions attached when states need money. of course, quick solutions were needed again, but what on -- on what basis did he leaders make that decision? to national parliaments have any say at all anymore? in germany, the issue is being reviewed by the constitutional court. >> the financial crisis threatens banks, and nations livelihoods, and the euro. the crisis keeps flaring up a new with more and more banks driving themselves toward

economic ruin. now, the eurozone countries want to stop that and turn the european central bank, the ecb, into a watchdog with powers to shut down ailing banks. >> we have to keep things separate. so you have an independent reserve bank for monetary policy and a banking watchdog that can take tough measures. the banking watchdog has the right to take measures even against the will of the bank concerned. >> as a watchdog, the ecb would also form the basis of a banking union that would help raise money for a joint crisis fund. that seems sensible, but according to germany, there is a danger. >> if there are not sufficient funds, the pot has to be filled by someone, and that would be or could be european taxpayers from other countries. german taxpayers could then end up footing a losses -- footing

the losses of other countries. >> in the wake of the crisis, eurozone nations have agreed to measures with next to no say from citizens. in addition to extending the powers of the ecb, eu leaders have also agreed on a fiscal stability treaty with a deficit. national parliaments were hardly involved in the decision. >> the problem with the fiscal stability pact was that two european union members, initially britain and later the czech republic -- did not want to put dissipate. because of that, we were unable to amend the treaty, so we had to abandon the system and the democratic legitimacy of the treaties and create a classical international treaty. the classical international agreement only has one outcome at the end when the tree is presented to the parliament and it has to say yes or no. >> now, deputies are taking the case to the german

constitutional court. they want the government to allow more time for public debate, and the judges agree. >> democracy has its price. but trying to skimp on that could be very expensive. >> the crisis erupted four years ago when the u.s. with -- in the u.s. with the lehman brothers bankruptcy. at the time, rapid action was called for. there was little time for talk. a first bailout package managed to stem contagion. now, european leaders have agreed on the european stability mechanism to allow struggling countries easier access to funds, but it will require those countries to yield some of their independence. >> if a state is heavily indebted, there are two alternatives -- bankruptcy or bailout assistance that comes with strict conditions attached. and restrictions on their national budgetary autonomy. at that moment, the state is no longer free.

where is the autonomy if the only alternative is bankruptcy? than four years of crisis and only now are eurozone countries turning their backs on local solutions in favor of a european solution combining the ecb as banking watchdog, the fiscal package, and the esm bailout package. even economists admit a dialogue >> i can well understand that citizens and national parliamentarians say they feel ignored. we are facing a completely new situations. there are not any textbook solutions. you have to develop new approaches each time under considerable pressure so that there is often not enough time to explain things, which is mandatory in democracies. >> as governments rushed to bring the markets under control, there is a very real danger that democracy could emerge the victim.

>> flying like a bird -- that is probably one of mankind's oldest dreams. as i created the first -- he created the first glider with a 100 years ago, said to have been inspired by a picture of a stock. flying is not the only thing stocks are capable appear they are also said to be monogamous. or are they? in a village in kuwait, some are not so sure. >> they are back flying low and seemingly relaxed, even over the middle of the main street. it is as if the storks know this is their village. back from their winter quarters in africa, they ever themselves to nest building. the other residents have accepted that here, everything revolves around the storks. as he is just an hour's drive southeast of the croatian capital, but it seems as if time stood still here 100 years ago. the village would have died out completely if it were not for the many storks. some years, there are more than

200. twice as many as there are human residents. for instance, they have raised three children and nine grandchildren, all of whom have flown the nest for the big city. but the couple say they are not lonely. they have more stores than anyone else in the village. now, they are looking forward to this summer's group of start chicks -- stork chicks. even if ornithologists it differently, they are convinced there's are monogamous. they say there are no affairs year. unlike perhaps with some of the human residents in the village. as architect and his newest client want to reconstruct the villages traditional wooden houses in the hopes of

attracting tourists. the 31-old is originally from bosnia but lived in germany for many years. his first visit here while working for a german development aid organization was a real culture shock. now he does not want to leave. >> we want to bring the feeling of what it is like to live here closer to the people. i was not familiar with this way of life until eight years ago, and i absolutely love it. >> the stork village is in the nature preserve, a huge wetland on the river. it is a paradise for birds and for the almost extinct breed of pig. its floppy ears help keep mosquitoes out of its eyes but do not interfere with its vision went under water. but this year, the park's director saw an acute threat.

water levels have dropped to record lows, meaning parts of the wetlands could dry out, so the authorities decided to take steps to intervene in this ecosystem. >> we are pumping water into a pipe leading to an oxbow lake, which is the oldest bird sanctuary in croatia, founded in 1963. >> it is the first time in the history of the nature preserve that we have had to pump water in. >> they hope it works so the population of frogs, the stork's favorite meal, remains stable. construction projects for both animals and humans are continuing at pace, aside from a small incident that could now become a problem for the young contractor.

what the 75-year-old has to say contradicts her neighbor's assertion that all these sorts here are monogamous -- all the storks here. >> the pair over there, shortly after they returned from africa and build their nests -- she threw him out. he floor around the nest for a few days, but it was no use. now the poor guy is sitting all alone, and his mate is having fun with someone else. >> let's hope he finds another nest. as long as he is sitting here, the builders cannot complete the roof. >> that report brings us to the end of this edition of european journal. until next time, from all of us here at dw studios in brussels, thanks for watching and good bye for now.