On Thursday, the Lublin City Council unanimously approved a resolution advocating for reparations and compensation related to the damage Poland endured during the German invasion and the subsequent occupation in World War II. The document emphasizes that Poland sustained the heaviest losses, both in human lives and material resources, among all countries attacked by the Third Reich.
The resolution attributes these losses not only to military actions but, more significantly, to the German occupation policies. It highlights deliberate and organized measures that devastated the population in occupied Polish territories, along with the intensive exploitation of Polish society. This included forced labor, the destruction of property, and the systematic erasure of cultural heritage.
The city of Lublin itself is noted as bearing substantial losses due to the invasion and the looting practices of the German occupiers, according to the resolution. The document frames these events as part of a broader pattern of aggression that affected the city, its infrastructure, and its cultural landmarks.
Extent of Destruction
The resolution lists specific losses resulting directly from bombardments of Lublin on September 2, 9, 13, and 17, 1939. It notes the destruction of residential buildings, commercial spaces, streets, and notable sites such as Plac Litewski and Lublin Cathedral. It also details damage to the town hall, the barracks of the 8th Legions Infantry Regiment, the railway station and related infrastructure, and the Sugar Factory and Refinery “Lublin” and its networks, including railway lines. The impact of bombing on the Lublin Aircraft Factory is also highlighted.
Additionally, the document points out that heavy shelling during the defense days of September 15 and 16, 1939, as well as subsequent German occupation, led to extensive destruction of the city’s areas around the castle. The losses extend to the broader economic subordination of Lublin to the German state, the deportation of residents for forced labor in Germany, and the looting of museums, libraries, schools, and private collections. The resolution also recognizes damages from the July 1944 Battle of Lublin.
It is noted that Lublin lost around 50,000 residents—a combination of civilians who died in the bombings, workers from the Lublin Aircraft Factory, a large portion of the intelligentsia, Jewish residents, forced laborers, and others politically oppressed by the regime.
Support from Council Members
The councilors voiced their support for actions aimed at securing compensation from Germany for Poland’s wartime damages caused by the Third Reich. They cited a 2022 Sejm resolution urging the government to pursue compensation for the harms caused during World War II and a 2023 Council of Ministers resolution calling for a formal approach to Poland-Germany reparations and the broader issue of losses incurred during the 1939 invasion and the subsequent occupation.
Moreover, the council requested that the council chair forward the resolution to the State Department for consideration and action.
A Call to Local Governments
Earlier in the summer, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, the deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, urged local authorities to back government efforts to secure compensation for war damages incurred from 1939 to 1945. Official estimates note the extensive toll of World War II on Polish citizens and infrastructure, underlining the need for a regional and national response to historical losses.
A recent report on the Institutes Stratwojnych site notes that approximately five million two hundred thousand Polish citizens died due to actions by the German state and its organs during the war. The financial assessment of losses has been substantial, with estimates running into trillions of Polish zlotys when accounting for the broader impact on the economy, cultural institutions, and private property.
These figures and the ongoing discussions underscore the seriousness with which Polish authorities view this historical issue and the expectation that a formal reparations framework be established to acknowledge and address the consequences of the conflict.
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