Poland has given Germany a specific plan for World War II reparations. The German government considers only a “humanitarian gesture” possible

Poland has submitted a specific plan to the German government for financial compensation for World War II crimes. The plan is being discussed by several departments within the German government.

This is reported by the Süddeutsche Zeitung.

The German government fears that its implementation could create an additional burden on the countryʼs budget. About two months ago, some German politicians concluded that the issue of reparations was closed, so only a "humanitarian gesture" was possible from Germany. Among them was Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful.

In September 2022, the Polish right-wing Law and Justice party introduced a bill on reparations from Germany in the amount of €1.3 trillion. The Polish Sejm then adopted a resolution demanding reparations from Germany.

The Sejm members clarified that the country had never received compensation for the damage caused. They also drew attention to the lack of compensation for the consequences of the Soviet Unionʼs aggression in 1939. The German government believes that there is no appropriate basis for this amount.

Now the Polish side has supported the following proposal: each victim of Nazi persecution will be able to receive an annual payment of 10 thousand zlotys (approximately €2,333) through the German-Polish Reconciliation Fund.

Payments from Germany will not be fixed, but will become smaller each year. According to Polish estimates in 2024, 64 thousand victims of Nazi persecution were still alive — by November 2025 this number had decreased to 55 thousand.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung estimated that the proposal would cost Germany around €300 million. So far, there is no agreement within the German government on the issue. The country’s Finance Ministry has not commented publicly on it.

However, time is running out because the victims are elderly. In a petition, the German-Polish Society called on the German federal government and the Bundestag to take “immediate and effective measures” to ensure financial security and sustainable support for the surviving victims of Nazi tyranny in Poland.

• Polish President Karol Nawrocki, from the Law and Justice party, said in 2025 that he “unequivocally demands” reparations from Germany. According to him, this will help “build a partnership based on the principles of truth and good relations”.
• On February 17, 2026, it was reported that the country was also preparing a reparations lawsuit against Russia for Soviet crimes during World War II and the Cold War. The Polish Institute for War Losses said that the investigation would be much larger than the work on Nazi atrocities.

Author: Khrystyna Pitsuriak

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