The overall goal of this project, the results of which are presented in this report, was to obtain an up-to-date picture of public attitudes and sentiments toward Poland and its people, as well as the level of familiarity with Polish history and the present state of affairs. At the same time, the research attempted to assess German public perceptions on the scale of convergence concerning Polish and German interests in the political, security and economic spheres.
The survey was a quantitative measurement carried out through a self-completed technique by respondents who accessed the questionnaire through a web link (CAWI survey—computer-assisted interviewing using a website). A CAWI survey via web panel is widely used and has a good relationship between the quality of the data collected and the cost of acquiring it.
The interviews were conducted in Germany from June 20–28, 2023 with a total sample of 2,073 politically active respondents (i.e. regular voters). Coordination of the survey in Germany, as well as preparation of the resulting data, was handled by a German project partner.
Contents
Introduction....................................................................................................................... 5
Concept and Methodology..................................................................................... 5
Main Findings and Conclusions.............................................................................. 8
Specific Findings.............................................................................................................. 11
Germans’ Experience of Poland............................................................................ 11
Stay in Poland and Contacts with Poles.......................................................... 11
Sources of Knowledge about Poland.............................................................. 16
Political Perception of Poland............................................................................... 18
Importance of Polish-German Relations by International Comparison.......... 18
Assessment of the Attitude of Selected Countries towards Germany........... 23
State of Polish-German Relations................................................................... 27
Assessment of the Impact of Poland’s Accession to NATO and the EU.......... 29
Assessment of Cultural Proximity to Germany’s Neighbours.............................. 35
Image of Poland Based on Selected Statements.................................................. 37
Polish and German Foreign Policy........................................................................ 39
Approach toward History..................................................................................... 43
Interest in Polish History................................................................................. 43
The Question of Responsibility for the Outbreak of the Second World War..... 44
Evaluation of German Occupation Policy........................................................ 46
Attitudes toward the Demand for Reparations.............................................. 48
Restitution of Cultural Property...................................................................... 50
Polish-German Reconciliation............................................................................... 52
Annex............................................................................................................................... 55
