Traktat o dobrym sąsiedztwie dwadzieścia lat później. Polityczny i symboliczny wymiar obchodów
Treaty on Good Neighbourhood Twenty Years Later. The Political and Symbolic Dimension of Anniversary Celebrations

Summary/Abstract: THE END OF the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s brought significant changes in the political system, both in Poland and in Germany (transformation by unification). In the neighbourly dimension, they marked the beginning of the reorganization of mutual relations between Poland and Germany. The so-called treaty on good neighbourhood, concluded on 17 June 1991, constituted the formal basis for the introduction of changes in Polish-German relations. Twenty years later, it is time for summary and reflection. At present, it can hardly be denied that the Federal Republic of Germany is the most important neighbour of Poland, both politically and economically. The anniversary of the Treaty on Good Neighbourhood provoked discussion on the last twenty years of neighbourly relations, it was also an opportunity to make some predictions. Both countries initiated celebrations to commemorate this event. The year 2011 was officially recognized as „the year of celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Polish-German treaty on good neighbourhood”. On this occasion, numerous celebrations and events were organized nationally and locally by both sides. The article is aimed at presenting how the anniversary of the Treaty of Good Neighbourhood was celebrated, what problems were addressed in official speeches and what problems were avoided, and how the anniversary celebrations affected the imagerelated issues in both countries aft er 20 years of mutual relations regulated by the treaty.

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