Arkadiusz Mularczyk MP is Poland’s Chairman of the Parliamentary Group for the Estimation of Compensation Due to Poland from Germany for Damages Caused During World War II. We asked him for an interview before the announcement of the balance sheet of Polish losses from the 1939-1945 period.

British Poles: Since when have you been dealing with the subject of Germany’s reparation to Poland for the crimes committed by this state during World War II, and for what reasons?

Arkadiusz Mularczyk: Taking up this issue represented a specific process. In 2017, Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński insisted that the topic of reparations is not closed. This gave an impetus to undertake some work in the parliament. I approached the Sejm Analysis Bureau with a question about legal issues related to reparations.

After two months, I received a comprehensive legal opinion. This lengthy document emphasised that although Poland had never received war reparations, it was entitled to them. This opinion also reminded us that war crimes do not become statute-barred. It questioned the alleged waiver of these war reparations. It was a comprehensive and honest opinion.

This led to the creation of a  parliamentary group in the Sejm, where we started researching this issue. We started looking for materials, documents, books, studies, and people who knew the subject. It should be borne in mind that this issue is little known and little studied today. However, after some time, we assembled a team of outstanding experts who dealt with this matter. 

BP: Why is the subject of reparations so tricky? What are the main challenges you had to face?

AM: We had the most significant problem studying demographic losses, namely how many Poles died during World War II. We are talking about citizens of the Second Polish Republic because they were also citizens of other nationalities and religions. The challenge is to what extent we can estimate the enormity of the human and material losses.

The problem is that the area we are talking about has not been studied effectively for many years. Since 1947, many attempts have been made to set up teams and working groups. However, the work was never really finalised. This shows how great a challenge it is to give an appropriate estimation of the amount of material and human losses.

BP: To which extent did the Communist authorities of Poland neglect the topic of reparations? 

AM: I think that the communist authorities made efforts and actions which, unfortunately, did not provide satisfactory results. You have to bear in mind that the People’s Republic of Poland was part of the communist bloc. At that time, there was no will from the Western world, the United States or Great Britain, to help Poland. The Germans defended themselves, explaining that at that time, helping Poland – that is, the People’s Republic of Poland – was equal to supporting the communists. Germany’s strategy was to drag this whole history out, to postpone it, hoping it would be time-barred and forgotten. They did everything to postpone this topic.

BP: When would be the optimal time to send the bill to Berlin? We know that Germany is in financial trouble at the moment. Their economic collapse could have negative consequences for Poland and Europe as a whole.

AM: There has never been a good time for reparations for Poland. Until 1989, Poland was a country subordinated to the Soviet Union. It was not a sovereign and independent country. After 1989, Poland was a country emerging from communism that needed help and support from the West. Our goal was to join the EU and NATO.

This context did not create a suitable climate among the Polish elite to deal with the issue of reparations. In the 1990s, post-communists ruled Poland and pursued a policy submissive toward Berlin. Then the time came for Tusk’s liberal formation, which, as we know, treats Germany as a strategic partner. This topic was inconvenient for them. Only when the patriotic Law and Justice party took power was there a real chance to start work and prepare a report.

BP: How can we force the payment of reparations from Germany? Do we have allies in this matter? If so, can we count on them?

AM: Poland’s greatest asset is, foremost, the international situation. Western states apologize for colonialism (including Germany, which recently paid Namibia over a billion euros for its colonial crimes). In this context, there is room for talks about compensation for World War II, the more so that recently Germany completed paying France’s reparations for World War I. The second key element is public opinion in Poland and the USA, and European countries. When the public knows this issue better, it will change its attitude towards Germany’s stance on the matter. 

BP: Where and when will the balance of Polish losses between 1939 and 1945 be announced?

AM: The report will be presented on September 1 at the Royal Castle in Warsaw in a ceremonial setting. The main theses and assumptions of the report will be discussed, and the estimated war losses calculated by our team will be given. The enormous scale of the crime and the fact that it has not been adequately investigated to this day make it possible that additional information from experts could be taken into account in the future. It is a “living document” because it can be corrected and amended in connection with new scientific research.

BP: Thank you for the interview, and good luck!

Image: Twitter @arekmularczyk/IPN

Interviewer: Sébastien Meuwissen