Germany Faces Demand for World War II Reparations from Poland
In the heart of Europe, the ongoing debate over World War II reparations and compensation continues, with Poland leading the charge. This week, the Polish government announced renewed efforts to seek justice and compensation for the extensive damage and losses suffered during the war.
Polish MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk, who headed the Parliamentary Team for Estimating the Amount of Compensation Due to Poland from Germany for Damage Caused During World War II since September 2017, played a pivotal role in this renewed push. In 2025, an exhibition was staged in the European Parliament, highlighting Nazi atrocities and the destruction suffered by Poland. Notably, German MEPs did not attend the event, and Germany continues to ignore these reparations demands, claiming the issue is settled.
The Polish government, under leadership promising to fight for justice, announced in mid-2025 that it would reopen its 2022 demand for a staggering PLN 6 trillion 200 billion (approximately €1.4 trillion) from Germany for WWII reparations. Jarosław Kaczynski, the ruling party leader, asserted that Poland should not be excluded from the rule that states if one state causes great damage to another, it must later compensate for those damages.
The report, prepared by a team of over thirty scientists, including historians, economists, and property appraisers, showed that Poland lost about 11.2 million citizens, had more than 2.1 million people forcibly transferred to slave labor, and had 590,000 Polish citizens become invalids during the war. The total material losses incurred by Germany were close to PLN 800 billion, according to the report.
As part of this long-term, multi-step process, Poland and some other affected countries plan to establish a European Parliament intergroup focused on war reparations from Germany. The aim is to cooperate on legislative actions such as resolutions to push the cause forward in the EU context. Historically, Germany has argued that all reparations claims were settled post-WWII and through treaties, while other countries like Italy have ongoing compensation efforts conducted via legal claims and settlements, sometimes funded by the state.
Subscribers to a weekly newsletter can stay updated on the current events in Poland, including the progress of these reparations efforts. The newsletter, which began sending out a weekly recap every Saturday, emphasizes the importance of remembering the past and seeking justice for the atrocities committed during World War II.
Tomorrow, the German and international responses to Polish claims and a fact-check on its legal status will be published. As the debate continues, it is clear that Poland's pursuit of reparations is a significant and ongoing political and diplomatic effort.
[1] European Parliament, MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk leads exhibition on WWII atrocities and Polish losses, 2025, [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/culture-education/20250521STO55749/mep-arkadiusz-mularczyk-leads-exhibition-on-wwii-atrocities-and-polish-losses] [2] Polish Government, Poland renews demand for WWII reparations from Germany, 2025, [https://www.gov.pl/web/pl/aktualnosci/polska-odnowa-wymagania-o-odszkodowanie-z-czasow-ii-swiatowej-wypraw-na-niemcy] [4] The Guardian, Poland seeks WWII reparations from Germany, but Germany says the issue is settled, 2025, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/21/poland-seeks-wwii-reparations-from-germany-but-germany-says-the-issue-is-settled]
- The Polish government, under the leadership of MEP Arkadiusz Mularczyk, is pushing for justice and compensation for World War II damages, renewing efforts first initiated in 2017.
- In recognizing the extensive losses suffered by Poland during the war, including the loss of millions of citizens and forced labor, the government has demanded staggering reparations from Germany, amounting to approximately €1.4 trillion.
- The ongoing debate over World War II reparations is not limited to Poland, as affected countries plan to establish a European Parliament intergroup focusing on war reparations from Germany, aiming to cooperate on legislative actions within the EU context.
- While Germany claims that all reparations claims were settled post-WWII, other countries like Italy have ongoing compensation efforts conducted through legal claims and settlements, sometimes funded by the state.
- In the general news landscape, the pursuit of WWII reparations by Poland remains a significant diplomatic and political effort, with updates on progress being provided in a weekly newsletter.
