The forest stands of the Kampinos Forest were exploited by the Germans during the First and Second World Wars. When asked by PAP whether Germany has compensated Poland for these losses, Germany’s foreign ministry said Germany bears “historic responsibility for crimes”. With regard to compensation, they believe that “the question of reparations is closed”.
The destructive exploitation of the Kampinos forest by the German government had catastrophic consequences for the ecosystem, natural environment and cultural and social losses, Kampinos National Park (KPN) management told PAP in response to a question about the damage done by the Germans. The forest stands of the Kampinos Forest were exploited by the Germans during the First and Second World Wars. In the years 1914-1918 the Forest lost about 2,324 ha of tree stands and in the years 1939-45 another 2,378 ha was felled.
A spokesman for the German foreign ministry replied to the PAP’s question whether Germany was compensating Poland for these losses that “Germany bears historic responsibility for the crimes committed by the German army and on German orders, which have caused immeasurable suffering and death. brought to millions of people in Europe, including the Polish population.”
The German Foreign Ministry wrote:
We want to shape Polish-German relations with full awareness of the past. Keeping alive the memory of the crimes and remembering the victims is Germany’s eternal responsibility. We defend it politically and morally.
A spokesperson for the ministry also stated that from the point of view of the federal government “the issue of reparations has been closed. This was emphasized several times by Foreign Minister (Annalena) Baerbock, most recently during her visit to Poland on October 4, 2022.
The period of the First World War wreaked havoc on the forest stands, which were the scene of military operations; in the years 1914-1918, the Germans cut down the most beautiful tree trunks in the vicinity of Wilków, Janówek and Pociecha – reports KPN. The wood obtained by the Germans in this way was used as raw material for the construction of fortifications and elements of war infrastructure, as well as fuel.
In order to use forest resources more efficiently, in 1915-1918 the Germans built a network of forest railways that transported raw logs to the marina in Leoncin on the Vistula, from where they were driven to Gdańsk. There were also two sawmills in Zamczysko and Piaski Królewskie.
In total, the forest lost about 2,324 hectares to tree stands during World War I, while in the 1920s the forest area was estimated at 18,400 hectares.
The occupying forces’ predatory economy during World War II increased the rate of forest destruction – an additional 2,378 hectares of forest stands were cleared. The German exploitation included various types of wood, but the main raw material was pine wood, which was a valuable material for war and industrial purposes due to its functional properties
added the national park.
It was noted that pines, the main forest-forming species in the KNP, were particularly keen to be felled, as they cover most of the dune areas.
Because pine grows under difficult conditions – on dry and poor sandy soils – it has a narrow annual growth, hard, resilient and resinous wood. Because of these properties, pines were used to make ship masts
the national park told PAP.
kk/PAP
Source: wPolityce