A historic breakthrough in Berlin. The monument to Polish victims is getting closer

There are still blank spots on the map of post-war commemorations. One of them is just starting to be filled. The German government has found space for a monument commemorating the Polish victims of World War II and the German occupation of Poland in 1939-1945, said the head of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Marta Cienkowska, on Wednesday in Berlin.

A two-day conference of Polish and German experts is taking place in Berlin, devoted to developing assumptions for the competition for the design of a monument commemorating Poles – victims of World War II and the German occupation of 1939-1945.

– There are still blank spots on the map of post-war commemorations. And one of them – extremely important – is just starting to be fulfilled. The German government, together with other authorities, found such a space for a monument commemorating the Polish victims of World War II and the German occupation of Poland 1939-1945. A special place – because it is marked by history. It was there, in the former Kroll Opera House, that Adolf Hitler justified the aggression against Poland on September 1, 1939, said Minister Cienkowska.

– The fact that we are here today did not happen by accident. This is the result of years of work, conversations, tensions, appeals and debates, including those conducted in the Bundestag. This is the result of the courage of many groups who did not agree to silence. And we must express gratitude today for this consistency, for this effort, she added.

Today in Berlin is an important day for Polish historical memory. 🇵🇱🇩🇪 Together with @BundesKultur With Wolfram Weimer, we open a two-day conference of experts that will help determine the shape of the Monument to the Polish Victims of World War II in Berlin. It's not just about architecture – it's… pic.twitter.com/Dl0db9KSPl

— Marta Cienkowska (@MartaCienkowska) April 29, 2026

Germany's Minister of State for Culture and Media, Wolfram Weimer, said that “the launch of the design competition is the first step towards making this monument, so important for the past and the future, a reality.”

– The erection of this monument is one of the most important projects of memory policy in Germany. More than 80 years after the end of World War II, we are finally giving a lasting, visible form to commemorate the millions of victims of the German war of aggression against Poland and the subsequent occupation. About five million people in Poland lost their lives. They were victims of national socialism, whose goal was the destruction and blurring of Polish identity. The fact that we are now taking steps to create this monument is intended to show Poland that we take our historical responsibility seriously, Weimer said.

The international competition for the design of the monument was announced by the Federal Government of Germany on March 31. The monument, located in the heart of the German capital, near the Chancellery and the Bundestag, is to become a place of remembrance of the victims of Nazi crimes in Poland. It will be dedicated to the memory of Polish citizens who were exploited and murdered during the German occupation in 1939-1945, including: in concentration camps. A total of EUR 5 million in federal funds was allocated for the competition and the implementation of the winning project.

Architects, artists and artistic groups can register their willingness to participate in the competition until May 6. 25 participants will be invited to the second stage of the competition, who will prepare their own designs for the monument based on the assumptions developed during the conference.

The competition is run by the Federal Office for Construction and Regional Planning (BBR).

The conference was organized by the Foundation of the Monument to the Murdered Jews of Europe in cooperation with the Berlin historical research center of the Polish Academy of Sciences. (PAP)

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