How Germany and Poland rebooted relations 35 years ago
Key takeaways
- When Germany and Poland signed the Treaty on Good‑Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation in 1991, they chose partnership over enmity and became close allies in NATO and the EU.
- The agreement marked a new beginning in Polish-German relations after decades of enmity and mistrust.
- Thirty-five years later, on June 17, 2026, both states — which are now close partners in the EU and NATO — will mark the anniversary of the signing at a major event in Berlin, the German Polish Forum.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
When Germany and Poland signed the Treaty on Good‑Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation in 1991, they chose partnership over enmity and became close allies in NATO and the EU. But it has not all been plain sailing.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FVGNPolish Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki (left) and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl (right) signed the Treaty on Good‑Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation in Bonn in 1991Image: Tim Brakemeier/dpa/picture alliance Advertisement On June 17, 1991, Polish Prime Minister Jan Krzysztof Bielecki and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl met in Bonn — then the seat of the German government — to sign the Treaty between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland on Good‑Neighborliness, Friendship and Cooperation.
The agreement marked a new beginning in Polish-German relations after decades of enmity and mistrust.