During today’s press briefing in the Sejm, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, former foreign minister and Law and Justice MP, outlined expectations for the visit of Poland’s current foreign minister, Radosław Sikorski, to Berlin. He highlighted controversy over a memorial site dedicated to Holocaust victims, stressing that a misunderstanding persists in parts of Europe, particularly in Germany, where World War II memory codes have taken shape that frame the war as a German-occupied Poland-centered Holocaust. Mularczyk argued that many Western Europeans and Germans lack awareness of the broader consequences of the occupation and its impact on Poland and its people.
Tomorrow, Foreign Minister Sikorski is scheduled to meet Germany’s foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock, in Berlin. The visit is described as highly significant, and Mularczyk emphasized the issues he believes the minister should address.
During a Sejm briefing, the Law and Justice MP clarified several priorities, including addressing a recent European Commission statement and a memorial site that described Oświęcim and Auschwitz-Birkenau as places in Poland. He noted that the statement failed to identify the perpetrators of the crimes committed during World War II and neglected the fact that many killings occurred in German concentration camps located in occupied Poland. He described the correction demanded by media and social platforms as an important check on narrative distortions.
Mularczyk reiterated that there is a widespread misapprehension about World War II in Europe, especially in Germany, with memory codes that misattribute the war to Poland rather than to the aggression and crimes of the occupying power. He argued that this ignorance has strained relations and continues to affect the understanding of Poland’s losses and wartime suffering.
As a result, the bilateral relationship is heavily influenced by unresolved historical issues that linger in policy discussions and public discourse.
Resolution on reparations
The former deputy foreign minister recalled the reparations question and pointed to a near-unanimous 2022 Sejm resolution urging Germany to address the full scope of historical, political, economic, and financial consequences of the German state toward Poland. He underscored that Germany should compensate for the destruction Poland endured during the war and that the discussion of war losses should remain a topic in Polish–German relations. He suggested that Baerbock would receive a detailed report describing material and human losses in a comprehensive and quantified manner.
Given the level of ignorance, disinformation, and deliberate distortions observed, Mularczyk argued that Poland’s long-standing stance should guide future administrations. He called for truth and justice for surviving victims, along with education, public information, and memorial projects that preserve historical memory.
Places of remembrance
Since the end of World War II, Berlin has not erected a monument honoring Polish victims. While there are memorials for Jewish victims, the Holocaust, the Sinti, and the LGBT community, a monument memorializing Polish war victims remains absent. Mularczyk pointed to this omission as a key historical issue that needs to be addressed.
Recent discussions have touched on plans to construct a Polish–German cultural center, but as yet the project remains in the planning stage. He argued that active Polish involvement is essential to establish a monument and a memorial site in Berlin that honors Polish victims of the war. He asserted that this effort should be represented at the ministerial level, led by the foreign affairs ministry and Minister Sikorski.
The situation earlier touched on the handling of Poland’s wartime property in Germany. Mularczyk recalled that the Polish minority in Germany faced dispossession during Göring’s 1938 decree and that many properties have not been returned. He noted that these historically significant questions were raised strongly during recent administrations.
“We demand a treaty, a serious agreement.”
He recalled that German authorities had floated proposals to contribute to the reconstruction of the Saxon palace. He stressed that Poland would not exchange substantial wartime losses, estimated at up to 1.5 trillion dollars in some assessments, for a modest subsidy or a few limited benefits for wartime victims. The dialogue should yield a formal treaty that resolves these historical issues without half-measures.
The call remains for a robust agreement that ends lingering disputes in Polish–German relations. Mularczyk emphasized that Poland’s goals are non-negotiable and should be pursued with unwavering resolve.
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Source: wPolityce