Poland Angry Germany Refuses to Pay World War II Indemnity

Poland resisted Germany's stance of refusing to pay damages for losses it felt during Nazi citizenship in World War II. Warsaw sought compensation in the amount of 1.3 trillion euros.

"We do not accept the status of Germany, we deny it in its entirety and consider it unfounded and wrong," said Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Wednesday (4/1/2023).

He admitted to being shocked at the German attitude. According to him, he did not witness any willingness from Germany to compensate some victims of Nazi citizens in Poland. "Germany can't close a topic that it hasn't opened before," Mularczyk said.

Even so, he said, Poland still sent a recorded reply to Germany. On Tuesday (3/1/2023), the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a recognition asking the UN to work together and provide support for their efforts to compensate Germany for losses due to Nazi citizens during 1939-1945.

Germany has repeatedly denied that claim. Berlin claimed that Poland had officially thwarted a lawsuit for damages in an agreement reached in 1953. In October last year, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock paid a visit to Warsaw.

During his visit, Baerbock claimed that the historic responsibilities his country carried were caught up in several Nazi actions throughout World War II, including in Poland. But with regard to the payment of damages, Germany, Baerbock said, has already shut down the rumors.

On October 3, 2022, Polish Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau signed a diplomatic note demanding compensation for Germany for the invasion and occupation carried out during World War II.

"The issue of the risk of invasion and German citizenship (in World War II) must include the payment of compensation by Germany for material and non-material damage caused to the Polish state," Rau said.

This is an argument for why Rau sent a diplomatic note demanding compensation to the German government. "The diplomatic note says it is believed that some factions should take appropriate treatment to ensure a permanent, deep, final, legal and material settlement of the risks of German invasion and citizenship in 1939-1945," Rau said.

"(The restoration) allows the Polish-German interweaving to be based on truth and justice and will be towards closing painful chapters in the past period and ensuring a further increase in bilateral interweaving in the spirit of good neighborliness and friendly cooperation," Rau added.

He said that in a diplomatic note, Poland also demanded that Germany ensure proper cooperation in remembering the victims of World War II in Poland. The Germans were told to present to their own citizens a description of the truth of World War II and its risks, particularly the losses and damage caused to Poland.

Recalling the 83 years of the German invasion on September 1, the Polish parliament issued a report on the losses the country felt by the German invasion and occupation in 1939-1945. Based on the report, their perceived loss reached 6 trillion zlotys or equal to 1.3 trillion US dollars. That figure counts as compensation for some casualties. One deceased person must be given compensation of 800 thousand zloty or about 175 thousand US dollars.

In that time Germany explained, the subject matter was correlated closed by the 1953 proclamation. In the proclamation, Poland denied reparations from Germany. In 2004, the government of former Polish prime minister Marek Belka made that status clear. But in 2019, First Polish Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said, the 1953 proclamation was an agreement between Poland and East Germany, which is not considered the current ruling faction.