Germany formally rejects Poland’s demand for war reparations

Germany has formally rejected Poland’s request for war reparations, saying it maintains its longstanding position that the issue is closed and that it will not enter into negotiations, the Polish foreign ministry has announced.

In September, the Polish government outlined its aim to seek up to $1.3 trillion in compensation for losses caused by the Nazi German occupation of 1939 to 1945. The following month, it formalised that request by sending a diplomatic note outlining its demands to Berlin.

This afternoon, Poland’s foreign ministry announced that it had today received a negative response from its German counterpart.

“According to the German government, the matter of reparations and compensation for war losses remains closed, and the German government does not intend to enter into negotiations on this matter,” wrote the Polish ministry in a statement.

“The government of Poland will continue its efforts to settle claims resulting from the German aggression and occupation of the years 1939-1945,” it added.

Germany’s government has not yet publicly commented on the latest development. However, in September Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the idea of paying reparations to Poland, saying the issue is already legally settled.

That message was repeated by German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock the following month during a visit to Warsaw, when she said that, while “Germany admits its historical responsibility, the issue of reparations is closed from the perspective of the German government”.

Berlin argues that Poland’s communist government renounced the country’s claim to reparations in the 1950s, and that this position was reaffirmed by subsequent governments. However, Warsaw rejects that claim, saying that no legally binding commitment was made and that reparations are still due.

With Germany appearing unwilling to negotiate, in November Poland sent further diplomatic notes to every member state of the EU, NATO and the Council of Europe, seeking to build international awareness of and support for its efforts to obtain compensation.

Today, before announcing Germany’s negative official response, the Polish foreign ministry revealed that it was also applying to the UN for its “cooperation and support in the matter of obtaining compensation for losses caused by German aggression and occupation”.

Around 17% of Poland’s population was killed during the Nazi-German occupation in World War Two, a higher proportion than in any other country. Poland also saw many of its cities reduced to rubble and its cultural heritage looted and destroyed.

Daniel Tilles

Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.