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How does Krzyżowa contribute to the building of Europe through its inhabitants? Five people connected to Krzyżowa either professionally or socially answer this question. In addition, they reconsider what reconciliation and opposition are in the face of Russia's attack on Ukraine. They are interviewed by Prof. Dr. Waldemar Czachur, Irene Hahn-Fuhr, Elżbieta Kosek, Dr. Anna Quirin and Dr. Robert Żurek.
What is the situation with regard to German-Polish reconciliation?
Anna: The Polish ambassador in Berlin, Dariusz Pawlos, was asked the following question at an event: Are we still in the process of reconciliation or are we already partners? I would like to start our conversation with this question: Where do we stand on German-Polish reconciliation?
Irene: I would challenge the claim that reconciliation can ever be considered a closed issue. The word itself indicates a process. In both interpersonal and inter-state relations, periods of closeness alternate with periods of distance in order to get closer again. These are politically and socially natural situations. It would be good if we in particular - those who have been working for years on German-Polish relations in an awareness of historical contexts - did not exaggerate these different periods with different conflicts of interest. On the contrary, we should feel motivated again and again to consider how rapprochement can be fostered. As Albert Camus said: 'One must imagine a happy Sisyphus'. Clarifying long-standing and recurring disputes by means of argumentative negotiation processes would bring us much closer to an equal partnership than if we fall into and persist in periods of 'conciliatory kitsch'.
Waldemar: I understand reconciliation as an ethical gesture, an action flowing from certain values. Many people from Poland and the then two German states reconciled, which was their personal decision. But reconciliation on the German-Polish level as a political project failed. Firstly because it rewrote the German-French reconciliation into a completely different neighbourhood story, and secondly because it hardly changed the way we think about each other. Today we are partners, but we need to redefine our partnership, our neighbourhood - and not in terms of reconciliation or lack thereof. As long as we duplicate language from other contexts, we obstruct our view of the unique things that unite us.
Robert: I would like to point out another difficulty. We talk about reconciliation, but rarely define the term. We can imagine reconciliation in the private sphere, but how do nations reconcile? Under what conditions does it succeed? How do we measure the degree of reconciliation in collective processes? I think we need to put things more concretely and think about what reconciliation really means in international contexts, how to shape this process and perhaps even bring it to a conclusion. Otherwise there is a danger that we understand different actions and outcomes under the same term.
Elżbieta: In relation to young people from Poland and Germany meeting in Krzyżowa, there is indeed a change. During my first exchanges in 2007, I often had to deal with disadvantaged young people, with more difficult access to education, and I noticed that young people from both Poland and Germany came with incredible anger. It was not uncommon to hear: "We'll kick their ass". Today it looks like this: We meet different young people from neighbouring countries; the aggressiveness and anger have disappeared. This is a sign that reconciliation processes have taken place on this level, especially in terms of forgiveness.
Anna: According to a scientific theory, reconciliation consists of four elements: truth, justice, forgiveness and the future. I believe that forgiveness happened a long time ago. The future: we are partners, members of NATO and the European Union. Truth: a lot of research has been done on this, a German-Polish history book has been written. The case is different when it comes to the perceived truth. Here there are still difficulties due to lack of knowledge. But the most difficult issue, in my opinion, is perceived justice, especially on the Polish side.
Irene: I agree. When it comes to truth, I see a lot of work ahead of us. That is why places like Krzyzowa are so important, because education and contextualisation are still needed. It is not only the war in Ukraine and Germany's complete misjudgement of events in Russia and its foreign policy that show how we have rested in recent decades in a peaceful and integrated Europe. It is clear that Germany has not done its job.
How does the war against Ukraine affect our thinking about Krzyżowa and Europe?
Anna: Russia is waging a shrill war against Ukraine. Millions of Ukrainian women and men have had to leave their homes, and more than 160 refugees have taken refuge in Krzyżowa. You can see how difficult the dialogue between Russian and Ukrainian civil society is. Robert, how can Krzyżowa contribute to the future process of rapprochement? To what extent can the experience of the Polish-German reconciliation process be useful?
Robert: It would be inappropriate to give Ukrainians 'recipes' for reconciliation. You can see from the Polish-German reconciliation process how long it takes for the wounds of war to heal enough to risk a new beginning. We must now show a great deal of patience and understanding, also towards attitudes that are perhaps incomprehensible to us, because we have never been in such a situation. I am thinking, for example, of the hostile attitude of many Ukrainians towards Russians who do not support the Kremlin's policy. We, the organisations around Krzyżowa, can only provide assistance - humanitarian, factual, material or whatever else is necessary. So we do not impose our ideas, but respond to the needs of these people. Only in this way do we treat them as equal partners. At the same time, by doing so, we contribute to the future process of reconciliation, as the children and young people from Ukraine who have found refuge with us will shape the future of Europe. The better we help them to heal their wounds, the easier it will be for them to forgive one day.
Waldemar: From our point of view, we should be grateful that, thanks to Ukraine, we are experiencing certain values on ourselves. You could say that the war has revitalised the European Union.
And of course NATO. We are just realising how strong we are as Europe, institutionally, but also at a moment when values have become more important than interests. In turn, we can learn from the Ukrainians the zeal to fight for the values that are the foundation of our community.
Did European education fail?
Waldemar: But don't you get the feeling that we are the ones who have failed? For example, all this education for the remembrance of the Holocaust, and meanwhile right-wing populists are coming to power in Israel. I know it's a sensitive issue, but for me it's a contradiction in terms.
Elżbieta: These global processes have a lot to do with the fact that the world is changing rapidly. Because of this, it matters what skills people have and access to education. There are a lot of people who feel excluded, who can't keep up, and that's why you have to keep going. Because these people need a push to take new angles and think critically. Thanks to the programmes at Krzyżowa, we can really stimulate and support critical thinking in particular - and this is a central aspect of our society. It may be a drop in the ocean and we may sometimes feel that we have not achieved enough, but sometimes all it takes is one person to change their way of thinking and encourage others to do the same.
Irene: 'Let down' is a very strong word. I am always in favour of taking a critical look at an issue and thinking about what could be done better. Who knows where we would be today if it wasn't for the actions we have taken so far. "Let us down" has something about it pointing in the direction of the past, and it really won't move anything forward. Rather, we should rethink what counts, what content and formats we can improve, and how we translate the historical context, socio-political, socio-cultural and economic connections so that they show - with a future-oriented focus - what is at stake.
Elżbieta: In my opinion, it is important to target civil society; these are the generations that have been included in educational activities. The networks around our activities with young people immediately after the outbreak of war worked well as support systems. This was impressive.
Robert: Irene, do you think that this war will bring Poland and Germany closer together? That the indifference towards the East will diminish through the war? The Germans are just asking themselves these difficult questions. And significant mistakes have already been made. I get the impression that a change of thinking is taking place there, and that should bring us closer together.
Irene: Certainly, the whole area of Central and Eastern Europe has reached the consciousness of people through the war. I think Poland's clear statement of support and solidarity with Ukraine and its people has made an impression in Germany. However, German society is still divided in terms of attitudes towards the conflicts. Those who are already claiming that German policy towards Russia has failed are largely the same ones who warned against such developments long ago - e.g. 20 years ago during the construction of Nord Stream 1. There are really few new conclusions, especially with regard to Poland. At most, there is a visible seed of a change in thinking about the complexity in the region and one's role in it. The real 'breakthrough', on the other hand, has been in the attitude of defending the victims of military assaults and, in this connection, towards the supply of arms. One is finally questioning the old motto "no more war" and German pacifism as a lesson from the Nazi era. After all, Hitler's Germany and its victims did not liberate themselves either.
The significance of Krzyżowa's potential for the future of Europe
Waldemar: It seems to me that we need 'therapy'. Krzyżowa creates a safe space to calm down, to learn, to pass on knowledge about World War II and reconciliation processes. It is also a suitable place to discuss and reflect together on positive strategies, as it has expertise in this area.
Anna: It is not only Krzyżowa that is important, but also the message it carries - both the members of the Kreisau Circle and the figures shaping the reconciliation process are people who acted in very difficult circumstances. They all had the courage and the will to say: we want a better future. And we are taking action to achieve this. I believe that this is what makes Krzyżowa a unique place.
Irene: Krzyżowa is a combination of a memorial as a warning to future generations and a positive example. In Germany, Krzyżowa is mainly associated with the anti-Hitler resistance movement, while in Poland it is more associated with the Reconciliation Mass of 1989 - but Krzyżowa brings it all together. One of the questions at Krzyżowa is how resistance is organised in times when resistance is, or appears to be, lost in advance. Courage is extremely important. And this is beyond therapy, a safe space, an important point: giving courage. That is, not only offering peace of mind, but also giving courage to engage despite the fact that circumstances may seem hopeless, because setting goals together will pay off in the long run. Nothing gives people a sense of purpose like acting together. This needs to be put back in the spotlight.
Elżbieta: I think multi-perspective is very important in our youth work. Helmuth James von Moltke already discovered the potential of multi-perspective when he created the summer work camp movement in Lwówek Śląski. People with different perspectives on the same situation met there and looked for a solution together. This is also what Krzyżowa is like - a place where different perspectives meet. And the truth consists of different perspectives. This potential for multiple perspectives is an extremely important aspect of the educational activities at Krzyżowa.
Robert: In addition to multi-perspectivity, there is another thing at the heart of our understanding of educational action. Namely, taking the human being seriously, as an acting subject and not as an object of their actions. Young people also benefit from the fact that they are not only given educational content that they either consume or not, but that they can co-create this content. This is the thing that distinguishes non-formal education and our Krzyżowa educational activities. And to draw on the spirit of the place, it doesn't have to be about history education at all.
Irene: In short: if there was no Krzyżowa, it would have to be invented.
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For Dr. Robert Żurek, Managing Director of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, Krzyżowa is one of the few places in Europe where one can experience the complexity of historical events of the 20th century. The Second World War and dealing with the consequences of war and the division of Europe through grassroots initiatives are important issues for visitors to learn and reflect on.
According to Elżbieta Kosek, deputy director and specialist for inclusive educational projects at the Kreisau-Initiative, Krzyżowa is a unique place because it creates a safe space for meetings between people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to do so.
Irene Hahn-Fuhr, a member of the Council of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, is committed to Krzyżowa because people from different countries meet there, present historical contexts and thus lay the foundations necessary to shape a common future.
Prof. Dr. Waldemar Czachur, Chairman of the Board of the Krzyżowa Foundation for Mutual Understanding in Europe, is the author and curator of the exhibition Courage and Reconciliation, which reflects on the Second World War, the Polish and German resistance movements and the mutual reconciliation process.
When thinking of Krzyżowa, Dr. Anna Quirin, Managing Director of the Freya von Moltke Foundation for Krzyżowa, sees a large green courtyard in front of the Krzyżowa palace where various groups of children and young people play or rest in the shade of the trees. In her work, she strives to ensure that Freya von Moltke's words "Krzyżowa is alive!" remain relevant for a long time to come.
The original text was written in German and published
Kreisau | Krzyżowa 2022/23: 
Jahresbericht Kreisauer Netzwerk 2022-23.pdf
