The experience of a military attack and war of aggression in the heart of Europe confronts us in the free world with tasks that we believed would never come our way again. For decades, the rituals and messages of the politics of remembrance have been accompanied by the conviction that the horrors of war and dictatorship would never again play a role in Europe.
The associated feeling of existential security has given way to insecurity and irritation in Poland at least since 2014 and in Germany. The caesura forced by Russia’s wars calls on the European states to reassure themselves and to further develop their cooperation and their public image. In particular, the politics of remembrance is faced with the task of rethinking forms and formulas that have been used for many years in order to remain relevant in a changed reality.
In the context of a politics of remembrance, understanding about common values is central. The basis for this is an open and honest joint approach to history. The project of a “Place of Remembrance and Encounter with Poles” decided by the German Bundestag on October 27, 2021 is now even more urgent.
A dialogical memory should lead to a consensual view of history in order to create trust for joint action. Our goal should be to develop an awareness of the cultural connection between Poles and Germans and their neighbors in the European Union, on the basis of which we can overcome crises together.
In order to be able to make a noticeable contribution to the Europe of the future, the project for a place of remembrance decided by the German Bundestag must meet with broad approval both in Germany and in Poland. Historical events and crimes should neither be leveled nor put into perspective.
The concept of a place of remembrance and meeting with Poles with a memorial that will gracefully commemorate the Polish victims of the German attack and bestial occupation is a very welcome initiative from Poland’s perspective. However, in order for the planned project to meet with broad acceptance and have a major impact, a number of aspects must be taken into account:
It is of paramount importance that the place reaches all generations of Poles and Germans. This requires an appealing and innovative space with an activating and immersive diverse offer that invites to diverse activities and in particular: a) offers in-depth knowledge about Poland and the many centuries of Polish-German relations; b) becomes an exciting meeting place for Poles and Germans; c) becomes a space that stands for open and unrestricted dialogue and exchange between Poles and Germans.
Knowledge of the impressive and diverse Polish history and culture is still scarce in Germany. Little is known in Germany even about the immediate German-Polish relations: Beginning with the Act of Gniezno in the year 1000 and friendly relations between Emperor Otto III. and the Polish duke Bolesław Chrobry, the settlement of German farmers, merchants and craftsmen who found an attractive place to live and work in Poland during the period of medieval country expansion and urban development, about the Polish-Saxon personal union between 1697 and 1763, the period of division with their uprisings of the 19th century to the prehistory of World War II; but also September 1939, the occupation with its terror and destruction, and of course the gradual reconciliation after 1945.
The place of remembrance and encounter with Poland should therefore become a space that also focuses on the centuries-old cultural and social transfer between Poland and Germany. Because it is also about not narrowing down the common history of Poland and Germany to the period of the Third Reich or to the period between the divisions of Poland and the end of the war in 1945.
The aim is to show what has connected the neighboring countries over the course of history, because this is the only way we can work on a common future in a united Europe. Instead of speaking primarily of German-Polish reconciliation, a term that means little to younger generations, it seems sensible to present German-Polish relations in all their diversity and historical complexity as the history of a European region.
If the place is actually intended to promote new impulses, fresh thoughts and real dialogue and not just reproduce the long-standing perspectives and debates, then it should not be primarily designed by the German actors who deal professionally with German-Polish reconciliation. Above all, the people and institutions of German civil society who have been involved with Poland on a voluntary basis – and passionately – for many years should be won over to work.
The place promises to be a success if partnership-based networking and cooperation with Poles and the Polish civil population are core components of its concept from the start. The issues that are disputed by both sides should also be brought up in discussions. The message could be: Not forgetting what separated us, we want to go into the future together.
With the consideration of the mentioned aspects, the place of remembrance and encounter in Berlin will inspire German-Polish relations to a new and forward-looking development. Cooperation at civil society level would give the place of remembrance and encounter with Poland an independent profile that would set it apart from other institutions that already exist in Germany. This place could actually increase trust between our two countries and societies and thus also serve as an impetus for European integration.
Wolfram Meyer zu Uptrup is a board member of the Federal Association of German-Polish Societies. Aleksandra Burdziej is Chairwoman of the National Association of Polish-German Societies.
