A middle-aged German couple last week apparently took recent statements by Greek leadership over repayment of a forced WWII “loan” by occupation Axis forces literally!

According to local reports, Ludwig Zacaro amd Nina Lahge traveled to the picturesque seaside harbour town of Nafplio and personally presented a check for 875 euros to the municipality’s mayor.

In answer to the question of “why Nafplio?”, the couple pointed to the fact that it was the first capital of the modern Greek state as early as 1829. The figure – 875 euros – was their own estimate of their “share” of the forced “loan” – taken from the state treasury of occupied Greece by the Wehrmacht in 1942.

Naturally, Nafplio Mayor Dimitris Kostouros told the couple that the Peloponnese municipality could not accept the money for the purpose they intended. Rather, he told them that if they wished they could donate the cash to the municipality’s charitable organization, which is active in fighting poverty in the region.

Zacaro and Lahge reportedly took up the mayor’s offer to funnel their donation to the municipal NGO, while calling their action symbolic in nature.