A recent survey conducted by the Claims Conference has uncovered a startling reality: a significant portion of young Germans lack even a basic understanding of the Holocaust. One in nine has never heard of it, and one in four cannot name a single Nazi concentration camp. This widespread ignorance not only diminishes the memory of millions who perished but also distorts key historical facts about the Holocaust and the devastating toll it took on Poland.
Misconceptions That Rewrite History
Half of the Germans surveyed falsely believe that most Holocaust victims were murdered within Germany. In truth, the Holocaust’s deadliest operations took place in Nazi-occupied Poland. Death camps like Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Sobibór became the sites of mass murder, claiming the lives of millions, including nearly half of all Jewish victims. Yet, only 25% of Germans recognize Poland as the primary location of the Holocaust.
This gap in knowledge perpetuates a narrow and misleading narrative that focuses on the fate of German and Western European Jews while erasing the immense suffering of Polish Jews and Polish citizens under Nazi terror. This distortion is more than an oversight—it is a failure to confront the full scope of Nazi crimes.
The Forgotten Polish Experience
One of the most glaring omissions in Germany’s collective memory is the suffering of the Polish people. While Holocaust education is included in German schools, it often neglects the brutal Nazi occupation of Central and Eastern Europe. Polish Jews made up half of the Holocaust’s victims, and millions of other Poles were tortured, enslaved, or killed. Stories like that of Witold Pilecki—a Polish hero who infiltrated Auschwitz to document its horrors—are virtually unknown in Germany.
Even Germany’s monuments reflect this selective memory. In Berlin, there are memorials to Jewish victims, Roma, homosexuals, and victims of euthanasia. Yet, the millions of Polish victims of Nazi atrocities are largely absent from these public commemorations. This erasure is not just a historical oversight—it is a disservice to the truth.
A Gap That Russia Exploits
This ignorance has consequences beyond Germany. The lack of understanding about Poland’s suffering creates opportunities for Russian disinformation campaigns, which seek to drive a wedge between Poland and Germany. As Dr. Hanna Radziejowska from the Pilecki Institute in Berlin points out, this gap is rooted in Germany’s reluctance to address two totalitarian evils: Nazism and Soviet communism. For decades, the Soviet Union has been seen by many Germans as a liberator of Auschwitz, with little acknowledgment of its brutal treatment of Poland during and after the war.
A Path to Change
Despite the challenges, there is hope for change. Dr. Radziejowska believes education is the key to reshaping Germany’s understanding of World War II. Stories like Pilecki’s can help Germans grasp the shared suffering of Polish Jews and non-Jewish Poles. Institutions such as the Topography of Terror and the House of the Wannsee Conference Museum have already started the important work of providing a fuller picture of Nazi crimes.
For Poland, this is an opportunity to assert its historical truth and ensure the sacrifices of its people are recognized. Teaching Germans about the scale of Polish suffering is not about assigning blame—it’s about ensuring that history is remembered in its entirety.