In the note, the Polish government outlines Poland’s stance on the demands to obtain compensation from Germany for the losses that Poland suffered during World War II.

With reference to the Note sent to the Federal Republic of Germany on 3 October, to which the German government is yet to reply, the Polish side informs its friends and allies about the reasons and circumstances behind this difficult but necessary decision.

Germany has never assumed full legal liability for the crimes it committed on Polish territory during World War II. The legal successors of the Third Reich have not and even today do not demonstrate the will to repair damage suffered by Poles or to restore cultural objects plundered from Poland during the wartime period.

Pushed into the Soviet sphere of influence for many decades and deprived of its full state sovereignty, Poland could not put forward its demands and has obtained from Germany neither due war reparations nor compensation corresponding to the scale of incurred losses.

The government plenipotentiary for compensation also recalled that it was the intransigent stance taken by successive German governments, which dismissed legal and moral arguments and considered the issue of war reparations to be closed, that led the Polish government to submit an official diplomatic note demanding a comprehensive settlement by the German State of its obligations towards Poland.

The secretary of state underlined that it is not the Polish government’s intention to bring about an escalation in the Polish-German relations. However, we believe that for our partnership to be based on solid grounds, it is necessary to regulate issues of fundamental importance. Mere words about moral responsibility will no longer suffice to bring about true reconciliation between Poland and Germany. The time has come for Germany, which wants to be seen as a model country that respects the rule of law and democracy, to officially address the open issues of compensation and damages for the crimes committed by its legal predecessor.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes the view that the decision to demand war damages from Germany paves the way for a serious legal debate on how the issue of reparations for all types of war damages should be resolved in future international practice.

MFA Press Office