“Of course, there is no such thing as collective guilt, but I want to apologise as head of state of the Republic of Austria for those crimes committed by Austrians under the banner of National Socialism.”

— Kurt Waldheim

Selbstverständlich gibt es keine Kollektivschuld, trotzdem möchte ich mich als Staatsoberhaupt der Republik Österreich für jene Verbrechen entschuldigen, die von Österreichern im Zeichen des Nationalsozialismus begangen wurden.
Rede des Bundespräsidenten Dr. Kurt Waldheim am Vorabend des 50. Jahrestages des „Anschlusses“ Österreichs an Hitlerdeutschland im Österreichischen Fernsehen http://www.uibk.ac.at/zeitgeschichte/zis/library/gehler.html#dok3
Often quoted as simply "There is no such thing as collective guilt".

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4th Secretary-General of the United Nations, President of A… 1918–2007

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“Of course, there is no such thing as collective guilt, but I want to apologise as head of state of the Republic of Austria for those crimes committed by Austrians under the banner of National Socialism.”

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