Polish-Jewish Relations: 1,300 Keyword-Phrase-Indexed Book Reviews (by Jan Peczkis)

Poland-Germany 1945-2007, edited by Witold M. Goralski. 2007. Polish Institute of International Affairs, Warsaw

Polish-German Reconciliation Swindle: German Reparations to Poland Are a Joke

The author of this book, in my opinion, has a naïve and rosy view of German repentance, and is quite uncritical towards Poland’s membership in the European Union. However, he makes a few good points, and I focus on this.

POLISH-GERMAN RECONCILATION SWINDLE: A FOUNDATION BRINGS MINISCULE RESTITUTION MONIES TO POLAND

Consider the so-called Foundation for Polish-German Reconciliation (Fundacja Polsko-Niemieckie Pojednanie). According to the candid statements of German scholars Roth and Ruebner, the Foundation exists less for German-Polish reconciliation and more for the purpose of promoting the German narrative in Poland. See:

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2023/12/23/might-makes-right-germany-screws-poland-pays-jews-roth/

But what about the reparation monies that Germany paid to Poland as a result of this Foundation? Jan Barcz writes, “This understanding became the basis for the establishment in Poland of the “Polish-German Reconciliation” Foundation, which undertook to pay benefits to entitled persons. In later years, the same formula formed the basis for seeking additional benefits, among other sources, from Germany and Austria. All in all, on this basis over 4 billion PLN (złoty), which flowed into Poland for victims of Nazi crimes.” (pp. 156-157). Note that 4 billion złoty equals 0.832 billion euro and 0.813 billion dollars.

This is a tiny number compared with what Germany paid the Jews, and is a drop in the ocean (roughly of a thousand) compared with what Germany actually owes Poland: 6.2 trillion złoty, which is equal to 1.45 trillion euro, or 1.62 trillion dollars.

https://www.jewsandpolesdatabase.org/2023/02/11/poland-war-losses-germany-owes-poland-reparations-big-time-definitive-work-poles-and-not-only-jews-suffered-long-term-demographic-losses-zyblikiewicz-and-wnek/

WHAT POLISH-GERMAN RECONCILIATION? GERMAN GUILT AND RESPONSIBILITY REMAIN

The passage of time does not remove Germany’s responsibility. Adam Daniel Rotfeld comments, “The present politicians in Germany have nothing to do with the Nazi criminal policies. However, the national leaders and the political elites have to accept the historical responsibility for the state in whose name such crimes were once committed.  Such an inheritance entails an obligation…” (p. 33).

It most certainly does. This is why Polish calls for German reparations never get out of date. So much for the exculpation that “World War II was so long ago”, an exculpation that Germans never give to Jews, only to Poles.

GERMAN EXPELLEES (VERTRIEBENE): DON’T FORGET THE KRESY POLISH EXPELLEES!

Rotfeld makes these seldom-said comments, “And more, only few people in Germany realize that millions of Poles were also expelled…The Poles expelled after the Second World War from the present territories of Lithuania, Belarus, and Ukraine are not referred to as ‘expellees’ but as ‘repatriates’. Using the same yardstick, the German population of expellees could also be called ‘repatriates’–especially as the great majority of these people left their homes in flight before the Soviet army. Poles from the eastern territories [Kresy] did not flee. They were forcibly resettled–in horrible conditions as a general rule…A considerable part of German society knows little, if anything, about this part of European history.” (pp. 33-34).