Berlin, Germany – The German Minister of Culture, Wolfram Weimer, officially opened a new memorial in the city on Monday, dedicated to the Polish victims of World War II. The temporary memorial serves as a visible symbol against forgetting, suppressing and silencing the victims of the war and the German occupation of Poland. Weimer emphasized the significance of remembering the suffering of the Polish people, which originated from German soil.
The minister described the memorial as a landmark, reminding people of the goal of creating a central location for remembrance in the name of Germany and a German-Polish House, situated in the heart of Berlin. The site is intended to be open to all, for mourning, encounters, education and dialogue, as well as for reconciliation and hope.
Weimer stated that the goal can only be achieved by having Poland and Germany walk the path side by side, with an awareness of the past, trust in the power of reconciliation and a firm will to jointly enter a free, peaceful and democratic Europe.
The minister, along with his Polish counterpart, Hanna Wroblewska, will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony. Knut Abraham, the Polish Envoy of the German Federal Government, will also give an address. Abraham noted that the temporary memorial marks the first step, but a crucial one, as it documents that Germany has finally found a way to commemorate the attack on and occupation of Poland during World War II, visibly in the heart of the capital city and hopefully, in its final form soon.