Germany Refuses Poland for World War II Rewards

Germany has rejected Poland's recent nationalist government demand for major damages from World War II, responding to a diplomatic note that the issue has been closed, the foreign ministry said in Warsaw.

A German foreign ministry spokesman said he had responded to a letter sent by Poland on this topic in October and did not comment on the content of diplomatic correspondence.

Poland estimates its World War II losses caused by Germany for $1.4 trillion and has demanded compensation, but Berlin has repeatedly said that all the financial claims related to war have been resolved.

This response, to sum up, shows an absolutely disrespectful attitude towards Poland and the Polish,” said Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Poland's deputy foreign minister, in an interview for the Polish Press Agency, CNN reports.

When asked about further dialogue with Germany on compensation, Mularczyk said it would continue “through international organisations”.

About six million Polish Jews, including three million Polish Jews, were killed during the war, and Warshava was devastated after a 1944 uprising, where about 200,000 civilians died.

In 1953, the then Communist leaders of Poland gave up all claims of war damages under pressure from the Soviet Union, which wanted to free East Germany.

Poland's nationalist Party ( The PIS says the deal is invalid because Poland was unable to negotiate fair compensation. It has revived calls for compensation since taking power in 2015 and has made promoting Poland's wartime victims a central point of appeal to nationalism.

The combative stance against Germany, often used by the PiS to mobilise its electoral zone, has strained relations with Berlin.