The German Bundestag has formally approved the creation of a memorial site dedicated to the Polish victims of World War II and the suffering endured under German occupation. The motion, backed by the governing coalition partners, the Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social Democrats (SPD), also secured support from the Green Party and the Left faction, signaling a broad consensus on the need for a permanent tribute. Notably, the Alternative for Germany (AfD) largely abstained, although a few members voiced opposition, highlighting persistent sensitivities around historical accountability within the party.
The initiative, developed in coordination with the state of Berlin, aims to establish a memorial on the site of the former Kroll Opera House – the very location from which Adolf Hitler announced the invasion of Poland on September 1st, 1939. A design competition, incorporating expertise from Polish historians and cultural representatives, will be launched to shape the memorial’s artistic and architectural expression. A temporary memorial stone already marks the site, serving as a provisional acknowledgment of the atrocities committed.
During parliamentary debate, CDU cultural policy spokesperson Ottilie Klein underscored the scale of the devastation, stating that over five million Polish citizens perished – representing approximately one-fifth of the country’s population. She detailed the widespread destruction of towns and villages, emphasizing that virtually every family suffered loss and that Polish citizens constituted roughly half of the victims of the Holocaust.
Klein further highlighted the systematic and deliberate attempts by the Nazi regime to eradicate Polish culture, recalling the targeted elimination of the nation’s intellectual elite and the widespread looting and destruction of cultural heritage. Thousands of Polish children were forcibly separated from their families and subjected to Nazi ideological indoctrination in specialized institutions.
The creation of this memorial, designed to be located “in the heart of the German capital” is intended to provide a lasting testament to these historical injustices. However, the AfD’s partial abstention raises questions about the commitment to confronting this painful legacy within German political discourse and the degree to which the memorial site will serve as a truly unified space of remembrance and reconciliation. The upcoming design competition and the level of genuine Polish participation it guarantees, will be critical in ensuring its meaningfulness and impact.