German President Joachim Gauck has reportedly raised the possibility of German World War II reparations to Greece.

The head of state was quoted by the Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper as saying that Germany, as a history-conscious country, should consider "what possibilities" there could be for reparations.

He said Germans were "the descendants of people who had left a trail of destruction" across Europe in World War II.

The presidency in Germany is a largely ceremonial post, but its holders are highly respected as elder statesmen.

Gauck's comments were published after the German government last month rejected the latest claim by Athens for compensation linked to the Nazi occupation of Greece during the war.

German Economics Minister Sigmar Gabriel said at the time it was "dumb" of Greece to claim 278.7 billion euros ($A383 billion) in reparations.

Successive Greek governments as well as private citizens have called upon Germany to pay war damages for decades, but that was the first time that Athens had officially put a figure on the claim.

At the time, Gabriel, who is also Germany's vice chancellor, repeated Berlin's long-standing response that the question of reparations to Greece had already been settled.