The federal government is cautiousPoland demands 10 thousand zlotys a year as compensation for victims of Nazism
June 28, 2026, 4:53 pm
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98-year-old Pole Aloysius Maciak, attending the memorial service in 2026, is a Holocaust survivor. (Photo: photo alliance/epd-bild)SplitFollow along:
Over the years, Poland has repeatedly demanded that Germany pay compensation to war victims. Now Warsaw is taking another step and is naming a specific amount for each still living victim. Federal policymakers see several problems with this.
The few remaining Polish victims of Nazism are due to receive several thousand euros in aid from Germany, according to the government in Warsaw. According to the Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), the Polish side has made it clear to the federal government that it considers an annual amount of 10,000 zlotys (about 2,333 euros) for each living victim acceptable. Their number is currently estimated at around 50,000, although an average of about a thousand such people are currently dying each month. The proposal has so far been discussed within the federal government without any results.
About two months ago, according to SZ, a conversation took place on this topic between Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful, Chancellery Minister Thorsten Frey, Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt and Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil. Legal issues and concerns about other countries’ requirements were mentioned. The difficult budget situation also plays a role.
According to German lawyers, there is no basis for demands for reparations like those made by the previous right-wing Polish government. However, then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz had already promised a “humanitarian gesture” in 2024. However, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk rejected the proposal to allocate 200 million euros for this as too little.
Possibly up to 300 million euros
If the federal government actually used the annual amount of 10,000 zlotys per victim, according to SZ calculations, costs of 100 million euros could be expected in the first year, and with conservative calculations a total of about 300 million.
Foreign Minister Johann Wadeful assured in mid-June on the sidelines of the German-Polish forum that “there is someone in the German government who supports” this humanitarian gesture. Funding is still open. Wadeful does not have the opportunity to do this in his own home.