Reparations for Westerplatte: Gdańsk’s Stand for Poland’s Memory

This is the moment to remember. On September 1, the mayor of Gdańsk should request reparations from Germany for the actions taken at Westerplatte and for crimes against Poles in Pomerania, whether at the site or before the Monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office.

Stand with the victims of state-sponsored aggression and with the Polish state itself, clearly and publicly. Express solidarity with Jan Michoń, Józef Wąsik, Erwina Barzychowska and others from Gdańsk who suffered in 1940 after court decisions in the forest near Stegna, who endured 2076 days in KL Stutthof, and who faced killings in Piaśnica.

That day, and in the public sphere, the memory is weighed against the quiet acts of those who were present with Consul Pieper and her flowers, while history is contemplated in the same way as Ewa Kopacz with a cup of coffee in a stark setting in Moscow.

Prisoner Bogusław Sojecki, number 15683 in Auschwitz, recalls: “On September 8, 1939, in Gdańsk where I lived, I was arrested simply for being a Polish scout. That charge led to three and a half years of harsh imprisonment in Auschwitz.”

Sojecki, a member of a naval team, a student of the Polish high school of Macierzy Szkolna, lived with his parents near Korzenna-Pfefferstadt, close to Podwale Staromiejski – Altstaedtische Graben.

Today, the president of Gdańsk stands as a neighbor in memory

Platoon leader Adolf Petzelt, 33; Corporal Bronisław Perucki, 24; Corporal Jan Gębura, 24; senior gunner Władysław Okrasa, 23; Legionnaire Józef Kita, 24. They perished at Westerplatte, within Guard House No. 5, defending Polish soil.

They defended Poland against a German force from SS Heimwehr Danzig executing the “Fall Weiss” plan and against the Kriegsmarine unit that carried out the “Fiske” order. They also resisted a Gdańsk police unit preparing for the slaughter of Poles in Pomerania during the “Tannenberg” operation.

Westerplatte did not belong to the Free City of Danzig. It was established as a Polish exclave in the Free City with funding from Polish intelligence and the initiative of Mieczysław Jałowiecki and priest Stanisław Adamski of the Association of Polish Companies.

Under the League of Nations’ blessing, on January 18, 1926, twenty-two Polish soldiers led by Lieutenant Stefan Konieczny arrived at Westerplatte and a Polish presence was affirmed in the Free City of Gdańsk.

In the aftermath of September 1, the Reichstag and the Senate of the Free City designated the territory as part of the German Reich. The narrative of those days remains a point of contention for many historians and citizens alike.

Today, a member of parliament from the PiS party remarks on TV in Gdańsk that the government is changing Westerplatte’s status. The question arises: can the Polish government safeguard a fragment of Poland from political influence, and does the boundary of the municipality of Gdańsk separate it from the Polish state?

Aleksandra Dulkiewicz speaks of Westerplatte as a symbol that cannot be captured for political purposes. She notes attempts in the past to reabsorb Westerplatte into broader political structures, while the present government defends Westerplatte as a core sign of Polish identity.

There is no need for alarm about the moment. September 1 is a day of reflection rather than a stage for quarrels. The procession through the streets of Gdańsk on that day should honor the memory of 1939 and those who suffered and stood up to the forces of occupation.

Historical accounts describe the presence of German planners who considered ways to suppress Polish youth near Gedania Stadium, and those who authored lists that targeted Polish landowners and communities. The aim, observed by many, was to erode Polish national life in the region.

Call for action in support of the Polish government

Today, the authorities in Gdańsk are urged to adopt a resolution supporting the Polish government in demanding reparations. The request should be presented to the German consul, who remains a controversial figure in a nation still processing the events of that era.

The call comes from leaders who emphasize memory, justice for the victims of the Augmented Violence, and the importance of the Republic of Poland’s sovereignty. A country that once built a strong post office in the face of aggression continues to honor those who defended the border and the dignity of Polish citizens.

Out of respect for the Westerplatten defenders, the postmen, the Stutthof victims, the Gedanists and Polish intellectuals from Gdańsk, the push for reparations should be undertaken with calm resolve, not as an act of bravado. The memory deserves steady, principled action rather than heated rhetoric.

Such an approach honors the lives and sacrifices of those who stood up for Poland. It recognizes that responsibility and remembrance go hand in hand with a sober assessment of the past and the ongoing duty to protect the Polish state and its symbols.