To mark the 35th anniversary of the Treaty on Good Neighbourship and Friendly Cooperation, Germany has returned several cultural artefacts to Poland that were looted during the German occupation of Poland in the Second World War. Federal Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul (CDU) described the handover on Wednesday in Berlin as an "expression of mutual respect, enduring German responsibility, and our relationship of trust."
It would, he said, "further strengthen the firm bonds between our countries."
Wadephul made these remarks at a German-Polish Forum in Berlin, which was also attended by Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski. "Remembrance of what happened, responsibility for the future, and reconciliation as a generational task guide our actions today," Wadephul stated. The forum, held under the title "Neighbourhood in Transition," addressed various areas of bilateral cooperation as well as current foreign policy challenges.
Among the cultural artefacts returned is a medieval manuscript containing a fragment of the hymn "Gaude Mater Polonia" from the late 14th century. The booklet, consisting of six parchment leaves, came to be held at the Berlin State Library by as yet unknown means, where it was kept as foreign property.
It originates from the library of the diocesan seminary in the Polish city of Płock, whose holdings were plundered and largely destroyed during the Second World War. Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer described the manuscript as "one of the oldest works of religious poetry" in Poland. "Today's return is an important gesture of acknowledgement of historical injustice," Weimer declared. "With this, we are writing a new chapter in the culture of remembrance of our two countries."
Also returned on Wednesday was a gold ring from the first half of the 16th century, attributed to the Polish King Sigismund I. The diamond-set ring was presumably looted by German troops from a Polish collection in September 1939. It subsequently came to Germany, where it had been held at the Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim since 1963.
The Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport also handed over eleven objects from the holdings of the Federal Railway Assets, which originally belonged to the collection of the Warsaw Transport Museum. The items consist of railway miniatures and accessories.
The Federal Foreign Office emphasised that the return of war-displaced cultural property had gained "significant momentum" since the German-Polish government consultations of December 2025. A German-Polish working group, led by the Foreign Office in cooperation with the Polish Ministry of Culture, is currently processing ongoing restitution cases.
Wednesday's handovers build on previous returns, including that of the so-called Teutonic Order documents and a sculptural head from Marienburg to Poland.
From breaking news to thought-provoking opinion pieces, our newsletter keeps you informed & engaged.
