Conference
The German-Polish working group met for the first time, organized by the German side, between October 20 and 23, 2022, in Bonn. The focus was on the recent history of German-Polish relations. The intention was to analyze the German-Polish treaty of 1970 in more detail. Unfortunately, this was not possible on the treaty's 50th anniversary due to the pandemic. Nevertheless, we felt it was important to continue the discussion after two years. Therefore, various aspects of the treaty were examined from both sides. A second meeting took place in Łódź in March 2026.
Particularly interesting in 2022 was the opening presentation on the German side by Prof. Dr. Jochen A. Frowein, Heidelberg, who was able to report as a contemporary witness on the negotiations of the treaty on the German side.
Polish Ambassador and Professor Rotfeld, who was a contemporary witness, responded by explaining the Polish side's motives for the negotiations. The discussion then turned to issues of minority protection, which were expertly addressed by Professors Balcerack and Kulick.
The sensitive topic of "State Borders and Third States" was the first item on the agenda for the second day. It was addressed by Professor Czaplinski and Professor Starski-Lutoborsky. Professors Barcz and Uerpmann-Wittzack spoke on "State Identity and/or State Succession." Professors Schmahl and Wyrozumska then reported on "Interpretive Declarations in International Treaty Law," which had played a particularly important role for the German side.
The highly sensitive issue of Germany's obligation to pay compensation for Nazi injustices against Poland was addressed by Professors Hobe and Kranz. The presentations by Professors Dederer and Kranz focused on the restitution of cultural property and questions of ownership. Finally, Professors Tomuschat and Wierczynska, along with Dr. Czaplinska, concluded the series of presentations with reflections on "The Significance of Time in International Law."
All papers were published in the Polish Yearbook of International Law 2021.
Table of Contents
Christian Tomuschat, The Relevance of Time in International Law, S. 9 - 30
Stefanie Schmahl, The 1970 Warsaw Treaty and the Challenges of Interpretative Declarations in International Treaty Law, S. 31 - 43
Robert Uerpmann-Wittzack, Continuity and Succession of States: The Fate of Pre-War Germany and Its Implications for the 1970 Treaty of Warsaw, S. 45 - 56
Stephan Hobe,The German-Polish Treaties of 1970 and 1990/1991 and the Question of Reparation, S. 57 - 62
Andreas Kulick, Minority Protection in German-Polish Relations – Historical Influence and Current Relevance, S. 63 - 79
Hans-Georg Dederer / Markus P. Beham, The German-Polish Cultural Property Debate – Can Pragmatic Solutions Overcome a Convoluted Controversy?, S. 81 - 92
Jan Barcz, The Polish-German Border in the Light of the 2+4 Treaty and the Polish-German Treaty on the Confirmation of the Border between Them, S. 93 - 104
Władysław Czapliński, State Boundaries and Third States – Issue of Opposability. Remarks on the Polish-West German Normalization Treaty of 1970, S. 105 -
Jerzy Kranz, War Reparations and Individual Claims in the Context of Polish-German Relations, S. 121 - 119
50 years of the German-Polish Treaty and 30 years of the Two Plus Four Agreement
Władysław Czapliński, Stephan Hobe (Convenors)
41 (2021) Polish Yearbook of International Law 7 - 141
