Comments on the project “In the melting pot of generations. 1968 and its impact on Polish-German relations (1968–2007)”

Abstract

The project, which consisted of contacting twenty-four people who were asked to describe, in writing or orally, their attitudes toward the events in the FRG in 1968, has produced very modest results. Only six people responded. The conclusions from their responses, in brief, are as follows:
1) the interest in, and knowledge of, the events in the RFG were very slender;
2) the events in the FRG and Poland were not perceived as being related to one another, and that is how the situation remains.
3) the people who had closer connections with the then ruling party reacted more or less positively to the anti-German propaganda, while the reaction among the others was rather more negative.
The manner in which the responses were articulated induces the view that they were frequently determined by the opinions the respondents hold today and they need thus very cautious interpretation.