Civil society today has an extremely important role to play. Grassroots initiatives, without directives from authorities and institutions, foster engagement in public life. Engagement full of faith in bringing about real change without the intermediation of politicians. During the Polish-German Forum, as part of the panel “Polish-German Civil Society and Participants of Cross-Border Cooperation in Dialogue,” conversations took place about ways to improve this international community.
The event took place on 5 June 2025 as part of the Polish-German Forum at the Pilecki Institute in Berlin. It did not resemble other discussions organised at the Forum. The traditional division into panellists and listeners, who were merely recipients of content and could only occasionally ask a question, disappeared. A different format of meeting was chosen, one that assumed greater interaction between participants and panellists and among the participants themselves.
The organisers announced the creation of six discussion groups that guests could join. The panellists also divided themselves among these groups, and they included: Robert Zurek and Weronika Priesmeyer-Tkocz from the Kopernikus Group; Ewelina Gorecka from the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation; Christian Johann, a representative of the Europaeische Akademie fuer Bildung Berlin; Darius Mueller, Director of the Trebnitz Castle Association; and Ellen Kray, representing the Ministry of Finance and European Affairs of the Federal State of Brandenburg. The discussions took place in various locations throughout the Institute, in Polish and German. It was possible to participate in discussions in three thematic blocks devoted to the Polish-German Civil Society Manifesto, the deepening of cross-border cooperation between Poland and Germany, and the role of young people in co-creating civil society. I chose the third option and went to the discussion conducted in Polish.
The groups consisted of different people of different ages with diverse professional experiences. However, despite their differences, they entered into dialogue and, working together, developed concrete solutions that could enable more dynamic activity of Polish-German civil society and the strengthening of cooperation between the two countries in this area.
In our group, moderated by Ewelina Gorecka, the discussion revolved around what actions could be taken to motivate young people to engage in joint action as part of the Polish-German community. We concluded that linguistic motivation does not foster genuine integration, the building of relationships and friendships. Breaking the language barrier as an attempt to overcome a certain cultural boundary may not be the optimal approach to forming Polish-German communities. Instead, one should strive to find a certain supranational common ground — shared topics, passions, hobbies, perhaps a shared profession. To make young people connected by something they can talk about without division into Poles and Germans, something within which they can act together, with passion and commitment. Then there will be no need to take steps to break down the boundary between us — over time, when people work together in an atmosphere of mutual goodwill, the invisible border will collapse on its own.
After twenty minutes, participants could change tables and join another group. However, there was no such need. Our group, in the midst of an intensive exchange of ideas, stayed in place. After a while, we gained a few new people who enthusiastically joined the conversation. Throughout the entire duration of this session, we touched on many topics concerning young people’s perspectives on Polish-German civil society. Among them were university exchanges, involvement in Polish-German organisations, and cooperation among professional groups. Young people are not always aware, however, of the possibility of undertaking all these activities. We drew attention to the informational limitations surrounding the above-mentioned initiatives, which sometimes cause them to remain confined to a circle of insiders and their acquaintances. The group proposed broader promotional campaigns and advertising efforts, including social media, where young people spend most of their time. In this way, Polish-German initiatives could gain fresh blood and perhaps even the attention of wider circles in both societies.
After the conclusion of this part of the meeting, everyone returned to the hall, where the group leaders presented the conclusions arising from the discussions. Irene Hahn-Fuhr and Anna Quirin moderated the entire discussion. Robert Zurek and Weronika Priesmeyer-Tkocz spoke first, having led conversations about the Polish-German Civil Society Manifesto. Participants in their groups highlighted the need for a long-term strategy by the governments of both countries devoted to supporting Polish-German civil society. However, the focus was not solely on the institutional path — the panellists emphasised the importance of reaching new people who want to shape this community. Finally, the issue of disputes, which are sometimes unavoidable, was raised. We should not run from what divides us, but bravely confront it and resolve problems in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Ewelina Gorecka presented the results of our group’s work, after which Christian Johann, the second moderator, added several proposals for action. He spoke about the need to include other nationalities and older age groups in shaping civil society. The panellist emphasised the experience and new perspectives that such individuals could bring to the community. A community that should not confine its activities to a once-chosen circle.
Despite rivalry and not infrequently divergent interests, Poland and Germany cooperate closely in many economic sectors. Darius Mueller and Ellen Kray, moderators of the discussions devoted to cross-border cooperation, emphasised the need to be guided by both heart and rationality in these sometimes difficult endeavours. They also drew attention to the change in how Germans perceive Poland over the years. Our country today appears as a modern state full of prospects. The panellists concluded that this attitude can be summed up with the slogan “Poland convinces.” It convinces not only culturally and socially, but increasingly also economically.
At the end of the panel, Knut Abraham and Krzysztof Ruchniewicz took the floor. The CDU member of parliament drew attention to the decline in the use of the German and Polish languages in cross-border regions for communication between citizens of both countries. “Transcontinental English” reigns supreme. The German diplomat expressed approval of the ideas proposed by the groups for strengthening the bonds of Polish-German civil society and cross-border cooperation. Knut Abraham stated that now is precisely the right time to implement them. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz agreed that mutual contact using the English language is merely a half-measure, a kind of communicative prosthesis. The historian concluded by drawing attention to the great importance of today’s Polish-German civil society. In the present day, it is to a large extent meant to shape the relations between Poland and Germany.
This issue seems key to all the discussions that took place that day at the Pilecki Institute. Polish-German relations were in the past largely shaped over the heads of ordinary people, in the quiet offices of politicians. Today, citizens have a historic opportunity to take co-responsibility for the shape of these relations. They have creative power and are capable of co-creating cooperation not only between the societies of both countries, but also, to a certain extent, between the states themselves.
Wiktor Zalewski