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Polish presidential adviser attends German far-right event

09.10.2025 20:30
A Polish presidential adviser met with lawmakers from Alternative for Germany (AfD) at a far-right event in the German parliament on Wednesday, drawing criticism from politicians at home.
Historian Andrzej Nowak (right) serves as an adviser to Polands President Karol Nawrocki (left).
Historian Andrzej Nowak (right) serves as an adviser to Poland's President Karol Nawrocki (left).PAP/Albert Zawada

Alternative for Germany is a far-right party that Germany’s domestic intelligence service has described as extremist, public broadcaster Polish Radio reported.

The meeting took place in one of the buildings that make up the Bundestag, the federal parliament, in Berlin, according to Polish state news agency PAP.

Speaking at the event, Andrzej Nowak, a professor of history and an adviser to Polish President Karol Nawrocki, warned against "imperialism at the expense of weaker states” and urged respect for “the right of individuals to personal memory,” which he described as a foundation of “a culture of freedom.”

AfD lawmakers Götz Frömming, Alexander Wolf and Adam Balten hosted the lecture and discussion.

Frömming said the goal was to hear a Polish perspective and maintain contacts with Poles, adding that the meeting did not signal new political alliances.

In his remarks on World War II memory, Nowak argued that Poland remains “one of the less recognized victims in German memory culture.”

He cited examples of German World War II crimes he views as genocidal, and said he is struck by “the systematic omission of the term genocide in relation to Poles.”

He called on German authorities to engage in efforts to help Poland recover the signet ring of King Sigismund I the Old, which he said was stolen by German soldiers during the war.

Nowak criticized reported attempts in 2021 for Germany to open a new format of talks with Russia, under then-chancellor Angela Merkel, a reference to debates in Berlin at the time.

He said nations between Germany and Russia fear “appeasement,” describing a pattern where smaller countries are asked to concede “a piece” in the hope of avoiding escalation.

He added that the European Union is “a valuable idea that helped avoid war,” while arguing that attempts to replace nationhood with an “anti-national ideology” run against the spirit of Europe.

The discussion touched on the planned German-Polish House, a proposed institution dedicated to shared remembrance and dialogue.

Nowak called the initiative “potentially good,” but warned that “top-down planning of memory” would be harmful.

Before traveling to Berlin, Nowak said he would attend as a private individual and that the invitation had been issued before Poland’s presidential election.

Media reports in Poland said the foreign ministry had advised against engaging with AfD lawmakers.

The AfD caucus introduced Nowak on its invitation as “a historian and adviser to President Nawrocki.”

AfD has been isolated by Germany’s largest parties for years, with critics accusing it of radicalism, right-wing populism, and ties to Russian figures.

In the most recent national vote, AfD won 20.8 percent, placing second behind the CDU/CSU bloc at 28.5 percent.

(rt/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, polskieradio24.pl