Wieluń stands as a symbolic starting point in Poland’s ongoing effort to seek accountability for wartime losses. The deputy head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, highlighted that the outbreak of World War II began in Wieluń, underscoring the city’s historic role in shaping the national narrative.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Wieluń City Council unanimously approved a resolution calling for reparations, compensation, and restitution for the damages Poland endured as a result of the German invasion and subsequent occupation.
READ ALSO: The Wieluń City Council unanimously passed a resolution on reparations. Response to the visit and appeal of Deputy Minister Mularczyk
First signal
In an interview with PAP, Mularczyk explained that after correspondence was sent to local governments, Wieluń’s resolution emerged as the first concrete step of its kind.
He described it as the earliest formal act in Poland on this issue, calling it a powerful symbol.
The deputy minister noted that the resolution carries deep symbolism because the war began with the bombing of Wieluń, which devastated the historic town and claimed more than 1,200 lives in a sudden air raid on a city at rest.
The deputy minister stressed that Wieluń’s action is emblematic: the city becomes a focal point for acknowledging wartime losses and supporting Poland’s pursuit of reparations, compensation, and restitution for damages caused by aggression and occupation.
According to Mularczyk, it was the residents of Wieluń, represented by councilors, who expressed support for the reparations cause in a place with strong historical resonance. He noted that Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki would soon visit Wieluń to mark the 84th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II, hoping the moment would also serve as a backdrop for presenting the resolution as moral support for the government’s actions in this matter.
Mularczyk underlined.
The motion for the resolution references earlier actions, including a Sejm resolution from September of the previous year advocating compensation by Poland for damages inflicted by Germany during World War II, as well as a government resolution addressing reparations, damages, and compensation in Polish-German relations. The aim, as stated, is to address what Poland and its citizens suffered due to Germany’s invasion in 1939 and the subsequent occupation.
The document emphasizes support for efforts to obtain compensation from Germany for the harm caused when the Second World War was unleashed by the Third Reich.
Difficult experiences
The resolution notes that Wieluń, among the first to suffer from the war initiated by Germany, endured severe aggression and occupation. The Second World War brought extensive material and immaterial losses, including the destruction of housing, public buildings, industrial facilities, cultural monuments, and museum collections. There were substantial human losses as well. The text thus argues for the German government to acknowledge moral, political, historical, legal, and financial responsibility for the damages and losses caused.
On September 1, 1939, at 4:40 a.m., a devastating Luftwaffe raid struck Wieluń, with reports indicating 380 bombs dropped by the 14th. Estimates of the death toll range from about 1,200 to more than 2,000 people, and around three-quarters of the town lay in ruins. Before the war, Wieluń housed roughly 16,000 residents and lay about 21 kilometers from the German border. At the time of the attack, there were no Polish Army units stationed in the town, and no major air defense positions. Historians suggest the bombing aimed to test equipment and intimidate civilians rather than secure any military objective.
Source materials indicate that the city’s suffering and the broader impact of the invasion form a compelling basis for seeking acknowledgment and accountability for the wartime losses.
[Polityce]