WARSAW:
Germany will return valuable artifacts looted during World War II to Poland, local media reported on Sunday.
A meeting on Monday to discuss Polish-German cooperation will include the “historic return of cultural goods looted during World War II,” according to local news website Onet.pl.
The Polish side described the return as “epoch-making,” the reports said.
The artifacts include a sculpture of a saint’s head stolen from Malbork Castle, a royal residence in northern Poland.
The items also reportedly contain documents from the Teutonic Order – a Catholic brotherhood of crusaders active in the Middle Ages.
Warsaw had been asking for the return of the archives of the Teutonic Order since 1948.
During World War II, numerous Polish artifacts, including historical archives and works of art, were looted by Nazi Germany.
The issue has been causing tensions between the two countries for some time.
Conservative nationalist Polish politicians, including President Karol Nawrocki, have demanded reparations from Germany.
Monday’s meeting in Berlin will involve Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the Polish ministers of foreign affairs and defense, according to the chancellor’s office.
The leaders plan to discuss security issues, including the war in Ukraine and cooperation between their governments.
The Polish Foreign Ministry did not respond to AFP’s request for comment on Sunday.
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