2025-10-02 18:00
publication
2025-10-02 18:00
The German government should already pay compensation to the living Polish victims of World War II, which are less and less every week – wrote the German daily Die Welt on Thursday.
The daily referred to an interview, whose head of the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs Johannes Wadephul gave “Gazeta Wyborcza” on Monday. The minister emphasized that The federal government should carefully analyze the possibilities of help for survivors. Wadephul also assured that he is personally involved in rapid progress in this matter.
The head of German diplomacy pointed out that Germany is responsible for the crimes of World War II and for a common European future in security, freedom and prosperity.
“At first glance it sounds right. But what does this mean?” – asks Die Welt. ” “The problem is that Wadephul's statement corresponds to the rule of the chancellor of Chancellor Angela Merkel: Germany is moral responsibility to Poland, but the issue of reparations has been legally closed,” commented the daily.
In the opinion of “Die Welt”, everyone who lies in the heart of historical justice and German-Polish reconciliation must support the idea of compensation for German crimes. It is not about paying reparations in the amount of euro trillion, but about recognition of suffering – it was pointed out. “These would be pensions for 30-50 thousand survivors from concentration camps and ghettos, for former forced workers and insurgents,” added.
In “Die Welt” it was emphasized that Germany should already pay these compensation, because there are fewer of the lives of Polish victims of World War II every week. “For years, Berlin and Warsaw have been talking about compensation for the survivors. There are numerous rumors about which party is to blame for the impasse in this matter. The German government should not stop it, but to move away from its old, well -known formula” – summed up the daily.
During his first visit to Berlin in September, President Karol Nawrocki repeated the request for payment of war reparations and announced the appointment of a team that would deal with this issue. The German side, however, upheld the position that the issue of reparations is closed and legally regulated.
Earlier, the German Government Plenipotentiary for Cooperation with Poland Knut Abraham pointed to the need for a new approach to historical responsibility, suggesting, among others deepened cooperation in the field of security. Sejm Marshal Szymon Hołownia spoke in a similar tone, who after meeting the chairwoman of the Bundestag Julia Kloeckner appealed to create a fund intended for strengthening the common border and security of Europe.
In July 2024, during the Polish-German intergovernmental consultations in Warsaw, Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced support for survivors from the time of German occupation. The details of this initiative have still not been given.
From Berlin Iwona Weidmann (PAP)
IPA/ MMS/ MOW/
