

Alteration to the western border was seen as a punishment for the Germans for their atrocities and a compensation for Poland. During the war Nazi Germany had committed genocide of the Polish and especially the Jewish populations, whom they classified as Untermenschen ("inferior humans"). A secure border was seen as essential, especially in the light of Nazi atrocities. The proposal to establish the border along the Oder and Neisse was not seriously considered for a long time After World War II the Polish Communists, lacking their own expertise regarding the Western border, adopted the National Democratic concept of western thought Īfter Nazi Germany invaded and occupied Poland, some Polish politicians started to see a need to alter the border with Germany. The proponents of these ideas, in pre-war Poland often described as a "group of fantasists", were organized in the National Party, which was also opposed to the then current government of Poland, the Sanacja. Some Polish historians called for the "return" of territories up to the river Elbe.

The "Polish motherland territories" were defined by scholars like Zygmunt Wojciechowski as the areas included in Piast Poland in the 10th century.
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Moreover, the border left Germany divided into two portions by the Polish Corridor and the independent Free City of Danzig, which had a predominantly German urban population, but was split from Germany to help secure Poland's access to the Baltic Sea.īetween the wars, the concept of "Western thought" ( myśl zachodnia) became popular among some Polish nationalists. However Pomerelia and Upper Silesia had been divided, leaving areas populated by the Polish as well as other Slavic minorities on the German side and a significant German minority on the Polish side. It partially followed the historic border between the Holy Roman Empire and Greater Poland, but with certain adjustments that were intended to reasonably reflect the ethnic compositions of small areas near the traditional provincial borders. The policies of Nazi Germany also encouraged nationalism among the German minority in Poland.īefore World War II, Poland's western border with Germany had been fixed under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles of 1919. Later, when the Nazis gained power, the German territory to the east of the line was militarised by Germany with a view to a future war, and the Polish population faced Germanisation. One of the first proposals was made in the Russian Empire. From around the time of World War I, some proposed restoring this line, in the belief that it would provide protection against Germany. The lower River Oder in Silesia was Piast Poland's western border from the 10th until the 13th century. Piast Poland during the rule of Bolesław III Wrymouth (1102 – 1138) Historical border between Poland and Germany 1 Historical border between Poland and Germany.In 1990 the newly reunified Germany and the Republic of Poland signed a treaty recognizing it as their border. East Germany confirmed the border with Poland in 1950, while West Germany, after a period of refusal, finally accepted the border (with provisions) in 1970. The Oder–Neisse line marked the border between the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) and Poland from 1950 to 1990. All pre-war German territory east of the line and within the 1937 German boundaries (23.8% of the former Weimar Republic lands, most of them from Prussia) were discussed at the Potsdam Conference, and were placed under International Law Administrative status of Poland (for most of the area) and the Soviet Union (northern East Prussia) after the war (pending the final World War II peace treaty for Germany), and the vast majority of its native German population was killed, fled or was expelled by force.

The line is formed primarily by the Oder and Lusatian Neisse rivers, and meets the Baltic Sea west of the seaport cities of Szczecin (German: Stettin) and Świnoujście ( Swinemünde). , German language: Oder-Neiße-Grenze) is the border between Germany and Poland which was drawn in the aftermath of World War II. The Oder–Neisse line (Polish language: granica na Odrze i Nysie Łużyckiej
