Chancellor Merz presents Trump with 1869 birth certificate of his German grandfather PHOTO

At the beginning of the bilateral meeting in the Oval Office, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz presented US President Donald Trump with a gold-framed copy of the historic birth certificate of the president's grandfather, Friedrich.

The document, written in German and English, was presented to Trump during a press conference in the Oval Office, Caliber.Az reports, citing German media.

It is framed in gold and written in the Gothic font Zutterlin. The certificate confirms that Friedrich Trump was born in 1869 in the German village of Kalstadt and later emigrated to the United States

Merz explained in English that his grandfather was born near the town of Bad Dürkheim.

Trump commented on the place name, repeating it and saying, "That's serious German." He expressed his delight with the gift, saying, "Fantastic!" Glancing around the Oval Office searchingly, he promised to hang it somewhere, which caused laughter.

The birth of Trump's grandfather was certified by Bavarian authorities because the Palatinate region was part of the Kingdom of Bavaria at the time. 

Friedrich Trump emigrated to the United States at the age of 16, changed his name to Frederick Trump, and subsequently made his fortune managing a hotel in the Klondike region, popular among gold prospectors. Despite his German roots on his father's side, Donald Trump more often mentions his Scottish ancestry on his mother's side.

The chancellor, who bears the same name as Trump's grandfather, also invited the former president to visit Kalstadt during his upcoming visit. Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel had previously extended a similar invitation during Trump's presidency, but that visit never took place. 

By Tamilla Hasanova