In a commentary published Wednesday, Der Spiegel columnist Jan Puhl wrote that Germany owes Poland for crimes committed during World War II, and that the near-total absence of compensation payments to Poland is embarrassing for a country that prides itself on reckoning with its past.
Der Spiegel is the second major German outlet, after Süddeutsche Zeitung, to call on Berlin to quickly provide financial support to Poles harmed by the Third Reich.
According to the commentary, Poland's government is seeking an annual payment of PLN 10,000 (about EUR 2,331) for Polish men and women who were arrested, tortured, held in concentration camps or otherwise persecuted during the war. Puhl called the sum "a laughable amount" as compensation for crimes committed 80 years ago.
Puhl acknowledged that no amount of money could offset the damage Germany inflicted on Poland, noting that Germany killed 6 million Poles, one-sixth of the country's population at the time.
The commentary noted that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, like his predecessor Olaf Scholz, promised a humanitarian gesture toward surviving victims of German terror, but Poles are still waiting. "The German government's conduct is morally wrong, and on top of that, politically stupid", Puhl wrote.
Der Spiegel argued Poland's government is not seeking the payment as full reparations, but as a symbolic gesture, and suggested many Germans remain unaware of what their ancestors did to Poles beyond the Holocaust — including the systematic killing of Polish teachers and professors under the so-called "Intelligenzaktion".
Puhl also pointed to broader resentment in Poland that those responsible for the war benefited from West Germany's postwar economic boom, while Poles endured hardship under communism.
The commentary suggested a gesture from Berlin now could also benefit Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk ahead of parliamentary elections next year, arguing it is in Germany's interest for Tusk to prevail over a right-wing opposition critical of the European Union and hostile toward Germany.
Puhl recalled that Poland's previous conservative government had previously demanded PLN 6.22 trillion (EUR 1.45 trillion) from Germany — a figure he said is "closer to the true value of the losses" than the proposed PLN 10,000 per victim, though he said even those who made the claim likely never expected it to be paid, viewing it instead as a symbolic act of defiance.
Der Spiegel estimated Berlin would need to pay about EUR 100 million in the first year, 2027, with the amount declining over time as the roughly 50,000 living victims age. "For every one of them who leaves empty-handed, Germany should be ashamed", Puhl concluded.
(jh)
Source: PAP