Poland demands WW2 reimbursement from Germany

(MENAFN) Poland has decided to drop its demand for reparations from Germany for the damage caused during the Nazi occupation in World War II, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced after discussions with new German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Warsaw on Wednesday.

The issue of compensation was revived under Poland's previous government, led by the conservative Law and Justice (PiS) party, which governed from 2015 to 2023. In 2022, Poland had estimated that Germany owed 6.2 trillion Polish zloty (about $1.5 trillion) for the wartime damages.

During the press conference with Merz, Tusk noted that while Germany had never compensated Poland for the war’s losses, the country would no longer be pursuing reparations. He emphasized that, as a historian, he could discuss the matter at length but affirmed that Poland would not demand reparations.

Merz responded by stating that the legal issues surrounding potential reparations had been settled, but stressed that this did not rule out future discussions on collaborative projects and shared visions for the future.

The reparations issue had strained relations between Poland and Germany, particularly under former Chancellor Olaf Scholz, due to disagreements over reparations, migration, and other matters. Despite Germany acknowledging responsibility for Nazi crimes, Berlin has refused to pay reparations, arguing that the matter was concluded when Poland waived its right to compensation in a 1953 agreement with East Germany. Berlin contends that the issue was further resolved by the 1990 treaty on German reunification.

The German invasion of Poland in 1939 marked the start of World War II, with the country remaining under Nazi occupation until its liberation in 1945 by Soviet and local forces.

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