War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war.
International law is clear in that a party that causes harm must redress an injured party for that harm. The 1907 Hague Convention – signed by Germany – states that a belligerent party is responsible for all acts committed by its armed forces.
Further, Poland and Germany have never signed a peace treaty to settle the issue of the Second World War.
Therefore, Poland is claiming reparations for:
- the damage and loss caused by the Germans during the Second World War, and
- the continuing negative effects of that damage in numerous areas that continue until today.
Reparations for Poland | Institute of War Losses them. Jan Karski in Warsaw