Memorial to Polish WWII victims to be built in Berlin
16.09.2021
“Today’s presentation by German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas of the concept of ‘a place of remembrance and of encounters with Poland’ in Berlin is the first important step on the way to a symbolic commemoration of Polish victims of World War II. The progress in realising this concept is also the outcome of sustained efforts of Polish diplomacy,” said Deputy Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk at today’s press conference. The project presentation by the head of German diplomacy on Wednesday, 15 September 2021, is the result of over six months of intensive work by a group of experts commissioned by the German MFA as well as the Bundestag’s earlier work related to this idea. The concept, presented by the top German diplomat and developed in agreement with representatives of all political forces in Germany as well as with the participation of Polish historians, unequivocally determines the construction of the monument to Polish WWII victims in Berlin.
It is an important achievement that the monument will be accompanied by an education centre, which will present, in a multilingual and digital form, the exceptional and criminal nature of the German attack on and occupation of Poland. The idea is that the centre is to be based on a permanent exhibition whose key element will be to present the role that World War II plays for Poland to this day. Additionally, the permanent exhibition will be expanded to include temporary presentations and “display cases” that will refer visitors to other memorial sites.
“The assumption underpinning this concept is that Germany bears the full responsibility for crimes committed in the name of Germany and by Germans, and that it will bear this responsibility in the future. Therefore the very concept as well as the construction of the monument does not bring the discussion to a close but is an important stage in the historical debate on responsibility and reconciliation. Due to what we view as an insufficient participation of Polish experts, historians and circles representing families of Polish WWII victims in work to date, it is important to ensure good cooperation at subsequent stages of implementing the project,” said Deputy Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk.
The concept presented by the chief of German diplomacy contains a recommendation that the future coalition agreement after the elections should include a provision on a swift implementation of the project in construction and institutional terms.
The deputy chief of Polish diplomacy also pointed out that at this stage the concept delineates the essential elements of the future project, without defining factual details of the exhibitions or the artistic concept of the monument. The Polish side expressed satisfaction with the fact that the first step was taken towards the construction of the monument to Polish WWII victims and an education centre in Berlin. At the same time, in consultation with Polish experts, it presented remarks and expectations as regards the initial concept, and stressed that it expects that work on the project will begin quickly in the Bundestag’s next term immediately after the formation of the new government and signing of the coalition agreement that will include specific provisions related to plans for the construction of the monument. In this context we welcome today’s declaration by Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Germany Heiko Maas in which he emphasised strongly that it is necessary to quickly implement the Bundestag resolution of 30 October 2020.
MFA Press Office
Photo: Gabriel Piętka / MFA