A temporary boulder was unveiled in Berlin commemorating the Polish victims of German occupation during World War II.
Ultimately, an extensive monument, information center and meetings are to be created in this place, but the implementation of this project encounters political and administrative obstacles.
The initiative meets both appreciation and criticism – some Polish politicians believe that this gesture is insufficient and does not reflect the scale of Polish suffering.
“A simple boulder under a wild apple tree, with bronze information board: four and a half years after the Bundestag decision of October 2020. In the center of Berlin, a memorial site dedicated to Polish victims of national socialism was solemnly unveiled,” wrote “Der Tagesspiegel”, wondering: “Did it be amazingly quickly? Nacham? “
According to the newspaper, the project located in the meadow between the Chancellor's Office and the seat of the Gazeta Parliament can be seen from various perspectives. Coordinator of the German government for cooperation with Poland Knut Abraham He believes that this is currently “the most important project related to the memory policy in Germany.”
“Der Tagesspiegel” emphasized that The boulder is a temporary solutionand the planned target memorial site is to consist of a monument, information center and meeting place. Waiting for this project continues – another Bundestag decision is needed and a competition for the project.
Germany. A boulder in honor of Poles. A monument is to be built on the spot
The daily reminded the history of this undertaking – from the idea of the then Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland Władysław Bartoszewskithrough the appeal of politicians and scientists from 2017, to the acceptance of the project by the German government in June 2024. The initial concept of the monument grew over time into the project of the Polish-German House, including in addition to the memorial site, the Documentation Center and the meeting place.
Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner He thanked the originators, emphasizing that without their “relentlessness, the implementation of the idea would not be possible”. “We are closing the gap in Berlin's memory culture,” he concluded.
The daily “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” pointed out that the memorial site should be ready for a long time, but the plans of its construction “got stuck”. Reminded the words of the former foreign minister of Germany Heiko Maasathat the project “was missing in the Bermuda triangle between politics, administration and memory culture”.
The newspaper emphasized the involvement of civil society. The former head of the Bundestag from the GDR Wolfgang Thierse He reminded that the friendship imposed from above ended in the fiasco. “That is why the fact that civil society is behind this project is great,” said Thierse. “Stone is only a small step” – added SPD politician.
Polish-German relations. Media: Poles bind hope with Friedrich Merz
“Sueddeutsche Zeitung” emphasized that the commemorative stone was unveiled in a place where in 1939 Adolf Hitler announced an assault on Poland. “You still have to wait for the planned monument” she noticed.
As the daily added, the initial preparations for the implementation of the project coincided with deterioration of Polish-German relations After the PiS took power. The Polish side issued a bill for war losses in the amount of PLN 6.2 trillion, and the government in Berlin took the position that the matter of reparations is closed from a legal point of view. Announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz The “humanitarian gesture” towards the living victims of the Third Reich did not take place, because the Polish side found the proposed amount of benefits as insufficient.
“SZ” emphasized that currently Poles are binding hopes with the new chancellor Friedrich. During the first visit to Warsaw, in May, Merz advocated the quick implementation of the project. It was expected that A makeshift memorial site They will open Merz and Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “Anti -German moods, fueled in the election campaign by the victorious presidential candidate Karol Nawrockihowever, they spoke against the participation of heads of government, “she explained. As she added, the choice of Nawrocki will probably lead to further perturbations in relations between Berlin and Warsaw.
In this situation, bringing the monument to the end of building plans becomes even more important – said “SZ”. She cited the words of Heiko Massa, who said that he would like the memory boulder to give way to the final project as soon as possible.
PiS politicians critically about the boulder that the Germans set for Poles. “Unworthy”
The editors of the news program of the first German public television program TAGesschau referred to critical assessments at a makeshift memorial site, formulated on social media. The boulder was called “a stone of disgrace” – it was emphasized.
“In the case of this project, the ruling liberal civic platform in Poland premiere Donald Tusk He assumes the good will of Germany. It also acknowledges that the Germans consider the war reparations to be completed, “the editors reminded, paying attention to “biting comments” of PiS politicians.
“Today, Germany reveals the boulder of memory in Berlin for Polish victims of World War II. After 80 years – a stone instead of real compensation. It is symbolically unworthy of the enormity of Polish suffering,” said the MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk.
Tagesschau pointed out that the originators of the monument are afraid that the creation of a multifunctional Polish-German house will take many years, which will cause that the last witnesses of history will not live to open.
At the end of Tagesschau quoted one of the initiators of the construction of the Florian Mausbach monument: – This stone is guilty. There is no reconciliation without pleading guilty.