In the 1970s, she fiercely opposed the recognition by the Federal Republic of Germany of the Oder-Neisse line. To this day, she represents the interests of Germany’s most anti-Polish circles—the Federation of Expellees, which she headed for many years. It is difficult to find a more openly hostile public figure towards Poland in Germany than her. Erika Steinbach is now warning against Dr. Karol Nawrocki. She threatens that the victory of the civic candidate in the presidential election could lead to German retaliation—demands from “our friends” for compensation for property lost by “expelled Germans” in northern and western lands. Steinbach herself also considers herself an expellee. She has her “arguments”—she was born in Rumia, occupied by Germans, where her father, a Luftwaffe non-commissioned officer, was assigned an apartment on Adolf-Hitler-Strasse (previously Sobieskiego Street).
Rumia belonged to Poland even before World War II, but that does not prevent Steinbach from seeing herself as “expelled.” And no wonder, since the Federation of Expellees she headed for years was dominated by former NSDAP members and led by war criminals unjudged in Germany.
Tusk invited her to her “home in Rumia”
As Der Spiegel revealed, out of 200 former leaders of the Federation of Expellees, over one-third were former Nazis, including three former general secretaries and several vice-presidents. The second president of the Federation, Hans Krüger, was a Nazi activist involved in the Munich Putsch and later a judge in occupied Poland in Chojnice, where over 2,000 death sentences were handed down, five of which he personally pronounced for “violations against occupation law.”
None of this prevented Donald Tusk from celebrating Steinbach. During a Polish-German debate held in 2003 at the editorial office of “Rzeczpospolita,” attended by Erika Steinbach, then head of the Federation of Expellees, Tusk explicitly said: “Frankly, I haven’t changed my views at all, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a more positively sensitive deputy in Poland towards the German issue. We can go to Rumia together, look for your house, and I will be the first to say in both languages, ‘Welcome home, madam.’ I truly have no problem with it.”
His words about having “no problem” are especially outrageous coming from someone who, years later, responded contemptuously to an older Pole asking about war reparations from Germany: “Why on earth should you get war reparations, mister?” Donald Tusk wanted to “welcome home” the daughter of a German occupation officer in Rumia, a city occupied by Germans, but had disdainful words for his compatriot. Such is this Polish politician!
Steinbach threatens: Poland will be the one paying
For years, Erika Steinbach was not widely heard in Poland. Tusk’s friend has now become active—before the second round of Poland’s presidential elections. Concerned by the possibility of Dr. Karol Nawrocki winning the elections, the insolent German has begun threatening retaliation if Nawrocki becomes president of Poland.
For Steinbach, a politician looking out for Polish interests is unacceptable. Nawrocki’s demand for reparations from Germany, which Tusk obediently gave up at their request, is considered a casus belli.
“PiS in Poland has repeatedly mobilized its supporters with anti-German slogans. Before the second round of elections, their presidential candidate Karol Nawrocki is again calling for reparations—and insulting his opponent,” Steinbach noted on her social media profile, clearly indicating her preferred candidate.
In case Nawrocki wins and becomes president, the daughter of an occupying non-commissioned officer has what she believes is a true wunderwaffe prepared. This “miracle weapon” will be used if Poland demands reparations or compensation for crimes, looting, and destruction committed by her nation (including her father, who certainly did not come to Poland as a tourist).
“It could be costly for Poland if Germany demands compensation for the expropriation of expelled Germans, which was against international law. This issue has not been resolved to this day!” Steinbach wrote on x.com.
The insolent German ignores the 6 million Polish citizens murdered. She ignores destruction, rapes, and torture. She ignores looting—on which Germany built its post-war prosperity. Steinbach sees only the “expelled,” most of whom voted for Hitler’s genocidal policy, electing him democratically and fanatically supporting him until the end of the war. Steinbach does not want to acknowledge that “expulsion” (incidentally—we’ve had enough fifth columnists in Poland) was a direct consequence of Germany’s invasion of Poland. It’s hard to sympathize with a nation that benefited from the slave labor of Poles and then had to relocate after their “leader” lost the war.
As one can see, however, a significant portion retained Teutonic arrogance and insolence!