In Gdańsk, a ceremony commemorated the 80th anniversary of the failed assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler. Among those honored was Claus von Stauffenberg, a Nazi officer who turned against Hitler only when the Third Reich was collapsing. This event has sparked outrage due to von Stauffenberg’s documented contempt for Poles and other occupied peoples.
Von Stauffenberg’s Views on Poles
Von Stauffenberg, a fervent supporter of Hitler, expressed his disdain for Poles in letters to his wife during the early days of WWII. He described the Polish population as “rabble” in need of a “whip” and saw them as potential slaves for German agriculture. He even sent his wife a photo of himself with a dead Polish victim, highlighting his cruel and racist attitudes.
The ceremony at Gdańsk’s Artus Court featured speeches that some perceived as whitewashing the history of the Nazi conspirators. Professor Norbert Lammert, a former Bundestag president, and current president of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, was accused of downplaying the conspirators’ Nazi affiliations. German Consul General Cornelia Pieper spoke about using historical sites for European dialogue, but this was overshadowed by the controversy.