Poland is urging the German government to provide financial aid to the remaining living victims of Nazi persecution. Warsaw hopes that several thousands of euros will be disbursed from Germany to these few surviving Polish victims, acting in line with the government’s will.
According to reports from the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the Polish side has signaled that providing an annual sum of 10,000 zlotys-approximately 2,333 euros-for each remaining victim is acceptable. The number of these survivors is currently estimated at around 50,000, although approximately one thousand of these individuals pass away every month. Within the German government, this proposal remains under discussion without a clear resolution.
Roughly two months ago, the newspaper reported a meeting involving Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, Federal Minister of the Chancellor Thorsten Frei, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt, and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. The discussions centered on the issue, highlighting legal reservations and concerns regarding potential demands from other countries, coupled with the difficulties facing the federal budget.
From a German legal perspective, there is no foundation for reparations demands, such as those previously raised by the former right-wing Polish government. Nevertheless, in 2024, then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) had previously offered what was described as a “humanitarian gesture.” However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rejected this offer, deeming the proposed 200 million euros insufficient.
If the federal government were to adopt an annual sum of 10,000 zlotys per affected person, calculations by the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” suggest initial costs of 100 million euros, potentially rising to around 300 million as a conservative estimate. At the Deutsch-Polish Forum in mid-June, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) affirmed that there are people within the German government who support the humanitarian gesture. However, the plan for financing these payments remains open, as Wadephul himself has no available flexibility within his own budget.
