The reparations issue is still open, and Germany should pay, says the historian Karl Heinz Roth. Poland, Greece and other countries would have to cooperate.
DW: Athens and Warsaw keep the reparations question is not done. What are the main differences in the reparation policy, and debt as Greece and Poland?
Karl Heiz Roth:The destruction in Poland were undoubtedly the largest. There, the Germans proceeded with a systematic planning, the General plan Ost. They wanted to centralize Poland German. Unlike in Greece, where the German fleets and air forces support wanted to set up points in Thessaloniki and Crete. Otherwise, they were looking for a collaboration opportunity. They were, however, overwhelmed by the vehemence of the resistance completely and have committed senseless massacre. However, there was no destruction of planning behind it.
Add to that the Numbers. In Poland, acts of the Nazi have been murdered through violence, occupation, 5.4 million of the civilian population, in Greece as many as 330,000. The quantitative difference is related to other aspects. Both Poland and Greece have suffered the fate of the so-called small allies. You were pushed into the reparation policy at the border, and has kept up through today.
You have started with your book on reparations for Greece at the beginning of the debt crisis, and had the idea that you should settle the debt with the crew bond to the Bank of Greece has been forced. How realistic is the proposal?
He had some things for yourself, I am, however, moved away from it. The proposal came, among others, by Economists, who have reminded the Federal government is in massive Debt relief. The London debt agreement of the FRG have been adopted in over 50 percent of all debt. In the meantime, I am of the opinion that it is different problems. The compensation is an ethical issue and should not be used with current economic problems. In the new edition I discuss with Economists, who have converted in your calculation of the reparation debts of the calculated value of the destruction and the humanitarian damage in a fictitious loans and then interest rate. As a result, the reparation will be commercialized debt come. We have apart in it’s own calculations to take account of the interest with. This is sometimes, for reparation creditors a disadvantage, but unassailable.
Warsaw at the time of the German occupation
What Numbers you got?
The base value of all the destruction and damage from the Second world war, for the Germans, amounts to almost 500 billion US dollars in the price level of 1938. Today, nearly 7.5 trillion euros without interest. For Poland, we expect 78 billion US dollars for 1938. The are today a trillion euros. This number also the Polish Parliament is called the group Mularczyk. In Greece today, an amount of 190 billion Euro. The fact that we have the calculation of any interest, we are in the case of Greece significantly lower than the official Figures, which amount to 380 billion euros. It will never be possible to repay the debt to that extent. It will always go only to pay a small portion, maybe a tenth or a fifth, because Germany has the obligation to pay Compensation.
There are ideas, that we speak instead about reparations rather than compensation for specific groups of victims, or renovation of certain buildings.
That would be a proposal. At a conference in Warsaw in September, it was reported that in Poland, for example, about 40,000 former Polish concentration camp inmates living, which have not been compensated because they were not of Jewish nationality. They are mostly impoverished and sick. The Federal Republic of Germany should now show a good will and a pension grant numbers. Just as the renovation of buildings and the provision of funds for the support of Polish memorials. This would be a first step.
At the beginning of 2018, the Polish and the German agreed to the foreign Minister, that experts should deal with the discussion on reparations. The conference in Warsaw was organized by the Western Institute (Instytut Zachodni) in this sense, a beginning?
I hope. Initially I had great reservations. Various historians have warned me, I’d exploit. There is this current political discussion, but through my contacts with Polish historians since the 1980s, I know that this question is independent of the stimulus of a present government. That’s why I went there. It was partly a turbulent scientific debate, but it was open and fair. We have created a base.
The German government recognises the moral debt for Nazi crimes, but the reparation question for completed. To respond to the demands of the country, would open the Pandora’s box.
The book by Karl Heinz Roth and Hartmut Rübner is released in 2017, soon, Greek, English and Polish Translations
This rifle must be opened. This can only be the first steps in the direction of Greece and Poland. There are other countries where similar initiatives are run: the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Ex-Yugoslavia. In my opinion, it’s going to be a multilateral solution. Optimal joint action in Greece, Poland, Ex-Yugoslavia, Italy and others, to a multilateral conference following the 2-plus-4-agreement would be. The contract was, in fact, a Treaty of peace and in him was excluded from the reparations question. That was a decision to the detriment of the States which have no signature States. In this case, the contract for these countries is not binding. This is international law clear. The German government is also white. You don’t know, that the reparation time-barred debt. It is also not done. It is still open. Berlin fears nothing more than a common approach of the small allies. There is also a body, the organization for security and cooperation in Europe. The OSCE has an arbitration Commission, which was apparently convened. You would have the advantage that countries not in the EU (such as Belarus or Ukraine), you’ve come to the negotiation table.
First of all, the parliamentary committees in Greece and Poland want to cooperate. You showed yourself from SYRIZA’s ambition in the reparation question, disappointed. What is it now?
It seems that now, in fact, an Initiative is started. First, the final report of the Greek Parliament is published. And I hope to call you soon also the Polish, and that both parliaments will adopt a decision to report with these Final negotiations. Poland and Greece promoters are in this process. Other countries have resigned. The Czech Republic, for example, has declared that it will not support Poland, by the way, after the visit of a top German politician. I was really disappointed with Syriza. The soft Back should be done under extreme pressure. And to me, it is clear that no single country, neither Greece, nor Poland, is alone in the situation, the German hegemonic power to be put under so much pressure that they can be explained to the quarrels in ready. Only a coordinated approach has a Chance.
The discussion about reparations in Poland is very emotional. In German expert circles also?
I’m a massive has been denounced to be attacked. There has been Fakes in the meetings of the reparation book. On the other hand, I came across a book ideas on the width of the resonance. But it outweighs Silence.
Dr. Dr. Karl Heiz Roth, historian and physician, is a member of the Foundation for the social history of the 20th century. Century in Bremen, Germany.