Berlin hosted a commemoration event at the temporary “Memorial Site for Poland 1939-1945” where German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer underscored the crucial importance of consistently addressing the crimes committed by Germans and remembering the victims of German occupation for the nation’s culture of remembrance
Speaking on the 86th anniversary of the German invasion of Poland, Weimer stated, “German responsibility for these crimes remains; it does not expire” He emphasized that this responsibility extends to ensuring such events are never repeated, a duty passed down to all future generations of Germans
The Minister also situated the act of remembrance within a contemporary European framework “If not now” he said, “against the backdrop of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and the end of the post-war European order, should we recognize that a European future requires a shared European memory
The commemorative event took place on the grounds of the former Kroll Opera House, where Adolf Hitler delivered a key propaganda speech to the Reichstag on September 1, 1939, announcing the German invasion of Poland A temporary memorial dedicated to the victims of German occupation of Poland was opened to the public on this site in June 2025