Reparacje wojenne dla Polski od Niemiec w latach 1945–2020

Abstract

Disputes between Poland and Germany over historical events have been a characteristic feature of the relations between the two countries in the last thirty years, though they have been present with varying intensity. One of the related issues pertains to the question of war reparations from Germany raised by the Polish government. Poland was one on the countries that incurred the largest tangible and intangible losses due to the German invasion on 1 September 1939, the followed occupation, genocide and destruction caused between 1939 and 1945. The aim of this publication is to indicate the problem related to the war reparations for Poland from Germany with an emphasize and distinction made between two periods of time, namely between 1945 and 1989 as well as between 1990 and 2020. One of the main characteristics of the war reparations for Poland, which were recognized and admitted by the winning countries in the aftermath of the Second World War, was that they were paid to Poland through the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USRR) and not directly by Germany. In 1953, the Polish People’s Republic government renounced the reparations from Germany with the decision coming in force on 1 January 1954. In spite of the above, during the last thirty years, the issue of German reparations for Poland has been again present in Polish political discourse with altering intensity. There are little chances, however, that Poland could receive any further reparation from Germany. It is due to the fact that Germany’s succeeding governments are of the opinion that Poland does not have any legal basis for these kind of claims and that the issue of war reparations for Poland has been already closed.