"Foreign Minister Heiko Maas expounds on a proposal for a commemorative site promoting interaction with Poland, during a speech in Berlin"
In a significant step towards fostering good neighbourly relations and promoting historical reconciliation, Germany has proposed the creation of a centre dedicated to the remembrance and encounters between Germans, Poles, and their European neighbours. This centre, which focuses on joint remembrance and the mediation of historical knowledge, was presented on September 15, 2021, in Berlin.
The concept for this centre was developed by the Federal Foreign Office, with the support of a German-Polish expert commission and a political advisory board. It is designed to be both historically oriented and forward-looking, aiming to contribute to the deepening of good neighbourly relations between Germany and Poland.
The idea for this place of remembrance and encounter was submitted by Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to Bundestag President SchΓ€uble. The concept contains ten specific recommendations for the planning and construction of the memorial and meeting place.
In October 2020, the German Bundestag made the decision to create a prominent site in Berlin dedicated to Polish victims of World War II and the Nazi occupation of Poland. However, the specific decision-maker or institution responsible for this decision is not explicitly named in the provided search results.
The centre is intended to be a milestone in German-Polish reconciliation. World War II began with Germany's invasion of Poland in September 1939, bringing immeasurable suffering to the people of Poland, with entire cities destroyed, resettlements, and mass shootings.
Foreign Minister Maas stated that the suffering of the Polish civilian population was long a small part of the German memory of World War II. He emphasised that the processing of the past remains essential for both Germans and Poles as a foundation for their shared path into the future.
Germany bears full responsibility for the crimes committed during this time. The centre aims to provide a platform for open and honest discussions about the past, fostering a shared understanding and promoting mutual respect.
The concept paper for the place of remembrance and encounter can be found here. It is hoped that this centre will serve as a symbol of reconciliation and a testament to the shared commitment of both nations to learn from the past and build a better future together.
