Speech in Potsdam by the Polish ambassador
The Polish ambassador to Germany, Dariusz Pawłoś, delivered remarks in Potsdam on Monday at the invitation of Ulrike Liedtke, president of the Landtag of Brandenburg. On the anniversary of the war’s end, he spoke about memorials in Brandenburg where Polish war victims lie buried. Remembering them remains a moral duty, he stressed.
In Potsdam, the Polish diplomat expressed gratitude for what he called exceptional cooperation in relations with Poland.
He noted with appreciation that Brandenburg offers the widest range of Polish language courses in Germany, a point he described as a positive development.
Brandenburg, he explained, is a federal state where memorials to World War II victims hold significant meaning for Poland. Notable sites include the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp Memorial, Ravensbrück Concentration Camp, the Fürstenberg an der Havel Cemetery, the Seelower Höhen Memorial, the Lieberose Concentration Camp, and the former POW camp at Gross Breesen. These locations are perceived as sanctified by Polish bloodshed and must be remembered as part of a shared European memory.
He also urged German partners to show the utmost understanding and sensitivity toward the Polish culture of remembrance. The ambassador highlighted the active participation of intergenerational victim associations in Poland and their presence at Ravensbrück this year. He acknowledged debates stemming from misinterpretations of symbols carried to the memorials and the resulting media attention, which affected Polish-German relations. He pledged that the issue would be clarified with the relevant government bodies and memorials, and expressed confidence that a mutually satisfactory solution would be found.
The lack of a dedicated memorial for Polish wartime victims
Pawłoś referred to the planned Berlin memorial for Polish victims of German occupation during World War II. He described it as a place of remembrance and dialogue for Poles, aligning with a Bundestag resolution from October 2020. The ambassador noted a delay in the current phase of implementation but remained hopeful that the monument would be erected in Berlin and contribute to Polish-German reconciliation.
He added that the project is being observed closely and remains a priority for fostering reconciliation between the two nations.
A bitter postwar legacy and ongoing claims
Ambassador Pawłoś reminded the Brandenburg parliament that Poland suffered severe material losses as well. The end of the war did not bring freedom in 1945, and for the next 45 years the country was under Soviet totalitarian rule. Some wounds have not yet healed, he noted.
The ambassador also drew attention to Polish claims for damages recently submitted by the government. He pointed out that Poland had no legal or political means to settle these issues in the postwar era, and that a sense of injustice and being treated as a second-class country persists. He called for an honest Polish-German dialogue on the matter, stressing that silence or avoidance cannot be a solution. The Polish government remains ready for such a dialogue and has encouraged German partners to engage in this path.
On the day of commemorating the end of the Second World War, the broader expectation remains that Europe’s war is now a distant memory. Yet Russia’s ongoing aggression against Ukraine underscores the fragility of peace, freedom, and stability in Europe. The fourteen‑plus months of Russian action should remind all of the importance of peace and resilience in the region.
- The ambassador of the Republic of Poland in Berlin spoke during the Brandenburg Landtag session, emphasizing these points and the need for continued dialogue and remembrance.
End of note from the Polish mission in Berlin as reported by PAP with credits to the Polish press and media collaboration and reporting networks.