Angela Merkel's Party Backs 'Homeland' for Germans Expelled by Poland

[Verðandi]

Source: Telegraph (UK) (6-29-09)

The party of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel has declared that its countrymen expelled by Poland after the Second World War have a ‘right to a homeland’ and said the deportations should be condemned under international law.
Wartime animosity between Poland and Germany could resurface after a new election manifesto published by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) pledged to promote the cause of those expelled. In 1945 millions of ethnic Germans were forced from their homes after a redrawing of the border resulted in their lands becoming part of Poland.


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[Gardisten]

The Poles are hardly innocent in their own right, and to act as though what happened 1939-45 didn't have origins predating that period and were in part their own doing is ridiculous.

[RoyBatty]

Strange that Merkel's party is so concerned about a "German homeland for expelled Germans" (presumably on territory which is currently in Poland's possession) while they have absolutely no interest in maintaining a German homeland for Germans in Germany (current borders) itself!

And I'll add, a Europe for Europeans for that matter.

Something doesn't add up.......

[Hauke Haien]

"Recht auf Heimat" is mostly meant to underline that the expulsions were unjust according to liberalist/humanist sensibilities. It does not indicate that anything whatsoever is supposed to be done to reverse what has happened. To the contrary, it is meant to create an obligation on our part never to do the same to our enemies.

It always makes me laugh how this matter is consistently misinterpreted abroad, leading to angry huff-puffing on the Polish side and deep concern within our moral consciences to the West.

[RoyBatty]

What you say may be true but it is certain that not everybody will necessarily feel bound to follow your interpretation. Once a can of worms like this is opened there are always going to be people who will want to pursue the matter and encourage direct action to be taken.

It is the same situation with the FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) and Greece name dispute involving "Macedonia". The FYROM's claim "it's just a name" and "the Greeks are being unreasonable" but it's pretty obvious that this is a stepping stone towards them laying claim to Greece's Macedonia province.

Unless Poland was going to relinquish this territory voluntarily (I doubt they would) it would have been better for politicians to avoid encouraging stirring up "discussions" and "resolutions" on this topic as it can only end in tears and conflict as usually happens.