Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The reason the Germans have not paid restitution to the Poles is because Poland was awarded over one fourth of prewar Germany at the end of the War. It is hard to comprehend that at that time there existed someone smart enough to decide that one fourth of prewar Germany was probably enough restitution. Today the value of these areas, now incorporated into Greater Poland, are in the trillions. At least four times the value of Eastern Poland which the Soviet Union decided it deserved. I will name again the major German cities now in Poland: Danzig Stettin, Breslau and Posen. Besides these cities, there were the churches, museums and cultural properties, the highly developed infrastructure, factories, universities (Brahms composed his well-known 'Academic Overture' for the hundredth anniversary of Breslau University), schools, autobahns and various 'breadbaskets' upon which Germany as a whole depended. It should be remembered that Poland has signed an international document attesting that it will not seek further restitution. Like everything, however it could become an open question. Yes, I am aware of the often quoted three partitions of Poland which took place in the 18th century. I can name the where, when and how it all came about. Probably it is no surprise that the Russians got the bear's share and the Germans came out short by comparison. If there is anything the Poles are masters of it is claiming that such and such an area was originally Polish due to the efforts of some Piast prince. Yes, there were a lot of Poles in West Prussia and even in Posen where Hindenburg was born. But I can also point out that before the War, Danzig and Breslau were ethnically and culturally nearly 100% German. The attempts by the Poles to prove beyond a doubt the 'polonicity' of these two cities has been first comical and then painful. As there were Poles in West Prussia, the repressive Versailles Treaty which ended World War I resulted in a large number of Germans ending up in Poland. It was the random murder and oppression of these Germans which ignited World War II. The Poles stubbornly refused to negotiate this issue and the return of the German city of Danzig. Had they been more practical, the War could have well be avoided. Even in this "good" war, as it is called (There are no good wars!), the little person pays with his life and property instead of the majority of the party 'Bonzen'. The grandmother in East Prussia who was gang raped and nailed to the barn door in East Prussia, the women and children who suffered a horrible death in the icy waters of the Baltic when the refugee ship with 9,000 aboard was arbitrarily sunk by a Soviet submarine captain, (He later for the Order of Lenin for his heroic action.) and finally the old German farmer who was beaten to death in one of the Polish revived concentration camps in Silesia all paid the ultimate prices for being seen as Nazis and not Germans I do recognize what was done to the Poles and others. I abhor and condemn the crimes committed against them no less than those committed against the Germans. But I am drawn to try and point out that the Germans should not be (even after 65 years) painted with the wide brush of 'NAZI and their sufferings and victimization should not be dismissed with the erroneous, but unforunately oft repeated statement, 'THEY DESERVED IT.!' RUDOLPH

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