Poland can and should pursue the return of lost property, stated Professor Mirosław Kłusek, director of the Institute of War Losses, in reference to the Germany war reparations report.
Mularczyk noted that the process will take longer because there is little awareness today of what happened during World War II.
Relocation and allowances after World War II? This is how much the Germans allegedly “gave away.” Yet the question remains: has Poland received adequate compensation?
Report on Poland’s war losses
On September 1, the 83rd anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, the leader of the ruling party announced the presentation of the initial section of the report detailing Poland’s losses caused by the Nazi invasion in 1939 and during the period of German occupation.
The report endeavors to document the full range of war damage suffered by Poland, arising from the 1939 German attack, through the wartime period and the years of occupation until 1945. It aims to cover all aspects of economic, cultural, and social life impacted by the conflict.
The researchers point out that a key challenge is the absence of a precise conversion between the 1939 zloty and today’s currency.
Alongside colleagues such as Dr. Pońsko from the Warsaw School of Economics, several methods were developed to reflect the historical value of the zloty in today’s terms, in an attempt to provide a credible valuation.
When questioned about funds identified by the Allies in 1949 that originated from three different banks, the historian explained that in the areas under German control, the Germans dismantled institutions that carried a Polish state function, effectively liquidating Polish banks.
Surpluses from these bank liquidations were moved to an account at the Reichsbank, the Main Trust Office East. The historian notes that the British discovery of these funds and subsequent inquiries by the People’s Republic of Poland brought attention to what happened.
Efforts have begun, but there is a lack of documents that unequivocally prove restitution. The suspicion is that during the Cold War, restitution was obstructed to avoid strengthening adversaries allied with the Soviet Union and its satellites.
According to the Institute of War Losses, even a minimal valuation index could place the total in the multi-billion modern zlotys range. If not a legal or banking expert, one might expect that the Bundesbank should be recognized as the legal successor.
If the inquiry were to proceed, an initial step would be to verify the account numbers where the funds were held in 1949 to determine what happened to those accounts and the assets they contained. In banking, successors to a failed or reorganized institution typically inherit its assets and liabilities.
The director emphasizes that this broader issue is a matter for government consideration.
“As scientists, we are open to scientific scrutiny”
The Polish radio interlocutor notes that the balance of war losses remains the opening balance.
The opening balance is described as a starting point subject to review and correction. If there are allegations of errors or misrepresentations, scientists remain open to critique and eager to refine the figures.
The professor envisions that the War Losses Institute, which he is honored to lead, will continue researching and publish findings as soon as new documents surface, whether in Moscow or elsewhere, including in eastern regions.
He adds that the work will proceed with transparency and openness to new evidence.
Unimaginable losses in culture and the arts
Another critical issue concerns cultural and artistic property seized during Nazi aggression. The institute’s director points out that the report faces a limitation in its scope due to volume.
It would be impractical to list everything, and a comprehensive catalog would be unwieldy. A catalog of affected works and items has been posted on the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage website and will be expanded gradually, with ongoing contributions.
The collaboration with the Ministry’s War Losses Department continues, and the institute will gradually help to augment the catalog as new records come to light.
Germany systematically destroyed inventories that could have helped reconstruct lost items. A second challenge lies in the fate of many collectors, especially Jewish collectors, who lacked inventories, and whose losses are harder to document definitively.
The losses in Poland’s cultural and artistic heritage during World War II are described as vast and difficult to quantify.
aja / PR1
Note: the material reflects ongoing work and discussions within Polish institutions studying wartime losses.