Dr Karl Heinz Roth’s assessment was reported by Poland’s tvp.info website on Wednesday.
Berlin’s stance on WWII reparations ‘unacceptable’
The German historian said: “In my view, the negative response of Germany’s federal government, which has ruled out negotiations with Poland in connection with the report on Poland’s destruction and losses during World War II, published on September 1, is baseless and unacceptable.”
Roth’s words came after the German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected Polish demands that Berlin pay reparations for the damage it inflicted on Poland during the war.
Scholz: issue of WWII reparations ‘settled conclusively in international law’
In an interview for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper, published on Wednesday, Scholz said: “I would like to state, just like all the previous German federal governments, that this issue [of WWII reparations] has been settled conclusively in international law.”
Roth disagreed, noting that “Poland has never renounced its claims to reparations from Germany, neither in 1953, nor in 1990,” as cited by tvp.info.
Polish demand for reparations ‘absolutely correct’
The German historian said that the Polish report on World War II reparations is “methodologically excellent, well-prepared, systematic and persuasive in its analyses.”
He added that the report’s conclusions, calling for reparations from Germany, are “absolutely correct” and the Polish experts had created “a solid basis for relevant intergovernmental negotiations.”
Roth suggested that Poland “lodge its demand for war reparations from Germany to the United Nations,” as well as notify the European Parliament, the European Commission and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, according to tvp.info.
The German historian also proposed that Poland “coordinate its steps with Greece,” which has also recently requested talks with Germany over reparations for World War II destruction, tvp.info reported.
Poland estimates its WWII losses caused by Germany at EUR 1.3 trillion
Last Thursday, Poland published a report estimating the country’s World War II losses at the hands of Germany at EUR 1.3 trillion.
The leader of the country’s ruling conservatives Law and Justice, Jarosław Kaczyński, said that a decision had been made to raise the issue of World War II reparations with Berlin.
Kaczyński added: “It’s about securing compensation, maybe through a long and arduous process, for everything that Germany, the German state, the German nation, did to Poland between 1939 and 1945.”
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Source: tvp.info
