Commemorate
A contemporary memorial is the central component of the German-Polish House in the public space. The commemoration of all victims of the German occupation of Poland from 1939 to 1945 is thus prominently anchored in the heart of Berlin. It enables various types of participation in commemorative acts and events as well as individual remembrance. The memorial and the house form an ensemble. They are recognisably related to each other.
In order to find an aesthetic form, an international design competition is being organised. The competition will be held jointly for the monument and the building. The ensemble of the three pillars »Commemorate - Encounter - Understand« forms a unit. The contents of the German-Polish House radiate onto the memorial. Conversely, the memorial reflects on the house and its contents. A jury of recognised experts will select the winner(s) on the basis of the guidelines for art and architecture competitions. The modalities of the competition will be determined as soon as a location has been found. The competition will then be advertised as soon as possible.
Encounter
The German-Polish House facilitates encounters. The rich educational programme is aimed in particular at people of all generations from Germany and Poland. It imparts historical knowledge and skills to shape the present and future in a common Europe. Lectures, conferences and cultural events make the house a lively place for encounters and dialogue with Poland and Germany in the heart of the German capital.
In cooperation with the German-Polish Institute, the German-Polish House will be active beyond its location in Berlin, contribute to the networking of the institution with other, above all German-Polish, German and Polish educational institutions and offer a platform for the realisation of new ideas.
Understand
A memorial alone cannot explain the complex history of the German occupation of Poland between 1939 and 1945, nor does it convey knowledge about the victims. Permanent and temporary exhibitions make it possible to find out who the Polish victims of the Second World War were, what kind of culture was to be destroyed and who the people were who lived in it and shaped it. The German-Polish House opens up spaces to get to know these people as actors.
We can only understand the significance of the neighbourhood between the two countries if we understand the common German-Polish history of interdependence. The Second World War and the immense brutality of the German occupation of Poland is the central event and a point of reference in German-Polish relations to this day. This is why the period from 1939 to 1945 is at the centre of the permanent exhibition. Little of the suffering inflicted on Poland by Nazi Germany during the occupation is anchored in the culture of remembrance in Germany.
The permanent exhibition broadens the view of a larger section of the shared history spanning several centuries right up to the present day. Perceptions of self and others, experiences of migration, processes of hostility, rapprochement and understanding, often characterised by very unequal power relations, will structure the exhibition.