Suchergebnisse

The main purpose of the research was to analyze selected elements of the German discourse on historical narratives present in public space and to determine the implications for Poland thereof. German- and Polish-language monographs and studies related to the issues of historical narratives and Polish-German relations were used and the content of selected German press materials was analyzed. The author used the method of analyzing history discourse, and the source analysis of selected German-language documents was made. The autor defined the concept of historical narratives and analyzed terminology used in German historical discourse. The author pointed out the role of The Federation of Expellees (BdV) and political organizations in public discourse. The role of anniversaries and historical of the World War II in German cinema were identified. Such analysis was the basis for describing importance of this proces for Poland. The main reference point in German narratives about World War II that are present in public space is the memory of the Holocaust. At the same time, the process of consistent promotion of the memory of German victims of war continues in Germany, taking place simultaneously on many levels. In parallel, the memory of the crimes committed during World War II by the Nazi regime on Poles is in the background, which is still a serious gap in German narratives of that period and also requires the Polish side to take further action to change this situation. Germany's important instrument for promoting a positive narrative about the latest history of Germany is promoting the memory of the fall of the Berlin Wall and therefore further strengthening the image of Germany on the international stage.

The article analyses the attitude of the Republic of Austria towards the Russian Federation in the context of the contemporary 'eastern policy' pursued by this central European state. It focuses on events following Russia's annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine in 2014. In recent years, Vienna has tried to play the role of an intermediary in talks between Moscow and Kiev. Despite the confrontational attitude of Russia in eastern Europe, the Austrian government undertook a number of activities to further deepen relations with Russia, considering mainly economic issues. However, these actions have contributed to the weakening of the European Union's common foreign and security policy. The article also draws attention to the positions of the main political parties towards Russia, primarily in the context of the elections to the National Council, which took place in October 2017. The author also indicates the controversial activities of members of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), who formed a government coalition at federal level with politicians from the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP), which was also important in the context of the relationship between Vienna and Moscow. He shows the most important differences and similarities between the Austrian and German 'eastern policies'.

This article presents the relationships of the Federal Republic of Germany with six countries that joined the Eastern Partnership programme: Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. It also contains an analysis of the German Federal Government's approach towards the Eastern Partnership project, which was initiated by Poland with the support of Sweden. The author takes account of the implications for Poland of Germany's policy in this region.