So far, there has been no response to the diplomatic note on reparations that Poland has sent to Germany. Staying in Berlin, Deputy Foreign Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk expressed the hope that his visit would be the start of a dialogue with the German partner.

During the visit, which began on Tuesday and will last until Wednesday 7 December, the deputy head of Polish diplomacy has already met with Andreas Michelis, Secretary of State at the German Foreign Ministry. During the talks, key issues in bilateral relations were addressed, including war reparations and a report on war losses suffered by Poland.

The report was presented on 1 September and resulted in a diplomatic note on reparations addressed to the government in Berlin. Poland’s losses were valued at PLN 6.220.609 million.

Arkadiusz Mularczyk stressed that Polish society and the government expect a dialogue on the issue.

“The German state wants to be treated as a state governed by the rule of law, respecting human rights, the principles of international law. Therefore, it must be confronted with the situation that affected Poland and Polish society”, he said and recalled that during World War II, Poland lost 5,200,000 citizens and one in five victims was a child.

Polish losses also included works of art and cultural goods looted during the German aggression and occupation. Virtually, the vast majority of cultural and national heritage was taken away”, said Mularczyk.

“We cannot agree with the attitude of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany, which says that it feels morally responsible for the consequences of the Second World War but does not feel politically and economically responsible. There is also no indication that the case is sealed from the legal aspect”, stressed Deputy Minister Arkadiusz Mularczyk.

Adrian Andrzejewski