The Germans placed a boulder for Poles. "We close the gap in memory culture"

• W Berlin was unveiled a temporary boulder commemorating Polish victims of the German business during planet War II.

• In the end, an extended monument, an information centre and a gathering place are to be built, but implementation of this task faces political and administrative obstacles.

• The initiative meets with both appreciation and criticism – any Polish politicians believe that this motion is insufficient and does not reflect the scale of Polish suffering.

• More crucial information can be found on Interii main page

"A simple boulder under a chaotic apple tree, with an information board from bronze: 4 and a half years after the decision of the Bundestag of October 2020 in the centre of Berlin, a memorial site dedicated to Polish victims of national socialism was unveiled" wrote Der Tagesspiegel, wondering, "Did it happen amazingly quickly? Or is 80 years besides late, as Rabbi Andreas Nahama believes?"

The task located on the meadow between the Kanclerian Office and the seat of the German Parliament can, according to the newspaper, be viewed from different perspectives. Coordinator of the German Government for cooperation with Poland Knut Abraham believes that this is now "the most crucial task related to memory policy in Germany".

‘Der Tagesspiegel’ stressed that The boulder is simply a temporary solution, and the planned memory destination is to consist of a memorial, information center and gathering place. Waiting for this task is ongoing – we request another Bundestag decision and a competition for the implementation of the project.

Germans. A boulder for Poles. A monument is to be built on the site

The diary recalled the past of the task – from the thought of then Minister of abroad Affairs of Poland Władysław Bartoszewski, through a 2017 appeal from politicians and scientists to the approval of the task by the German government in June 2024. The first concept of the monument grew over time into the task of the Polish-German House, which besides includes a documentation centre and gathering place.

Mayor of Berlin Kai Wegner he thanked the ideamakers, stressing that without their "persistentness it would not be possible to implement the idea". "We close the gap in Berlin's memory culture," he concluded.

The “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” noted that the memorial site should have been ready for a long time, but the plans to build it “were stuck in place”. He recalled the words of the erstwhile German abroad Minister Heiko Maasathat the task "lost in the Bermuda Triangle between politics, administration and memory culture".

The paper highlighted the engagement of civilian society. erstwhile Head of the Bundestag Wolfgang Thierse He recalled that the pre-imposed relationship between the nations ended in failure. "That is why it is so crucial that civilian society is behind this project," Thierse said. "The stone is only a tiny step," added SPD politician.

Polish-German relations. Media: Poles link hope to Friedrich Merzem

"Sueddeutsche Zeitung" stressed that the memorial stone was unveiled in the place where Adolf Hitler announced the attack on Poland in 1939. “The long planned monument must be waited” – she noted.

As the diary added, the first preparations for the task coincided with worsening of Polish-German relations After the Law and Justice took over. The Polish side issued an account to Germany for war losses of PLN 6.2 trillion, and the government in Berlin held that the substance of reparation was legally closed. Announced by Chancellor Olaf Scholz ‘humane gesture’ towards surviving victims III The Reich failed due to the fact that the Polish side considered the proposed amount of benefits insufficient.

“SZ” stressed that Poles now have hopes with the fresh Chancellor Friedrich Merzem. During his first visit to Warsaw, in May, Merz advocated fast implementation of the project. It was expected that temporary memory site Merz and Prime Minister Donald Tusk will open. "Anti-German sentiments, fueled by the election run by the winning presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki, however, they spoke against the engagement of the heads of government," she explained. As she added, Nawrocki's choice will most likely lead to further perturbation in relations between Berlin and Warsaw.

In this situation, the completion of the plans to build the monument becomes even more crucial – she assessed “SZ”. She cited the words of Heiko Massa, who said that he would like the stone of memory to give way to the final task as shortly as possible.

PiS politicians critically about the boulder which Germans have placed for Poles. ‘Unworthy’

The news editorial of the first German public tv program Tagesschau referred to critical assessments of the makeshift memory site formulated on social media. The boulder was called a “stone of shame” there, stressed.

"For this project, the Liberal Civic Platform of the Prime Minister is ruling in Poland Donald Tusk assumes the goodwill of Germany. It besides notes that Germany considers the substance of war reparations to be over" - recalled the editorial board, pointing out "Battle Comments" by PiS politicians.

"Today Germany unveils a memorial boulder in Berlin for Polish victims of planet War II. After 80 years – stone alternatively of real redress. This is symbolically unworthy of the magnitude of Polish suffering" - said the MEP Arkady the Mullar.

Tagesschau pointed out that the founders of the monument fear that the creation of the multifunctional Polish-German home will take many years, which will origin the last witnesses of past to neglect to live to open it.

At the end of Tagesschau quoted 1 of the initiators of the construction of the statue of Florian Mausbach: – This stone is simply a confession. Without confession there is no reconciliation.

• We know who is behind the entries of Karol Nawrocki to planet leaders
• Piotr Gliński accuses the government. "Realises Pro-German Policy"