German-Polish History Textbook

In the fall of 2006 Federal Foreign Secretary, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, encouraged a German-Polish history textbook. In January 2008, the foreign secretaries of Germany and Poland acted on the idea and authorized a joint German-Polish Textbook Commission to develop a concept for the textbook. The project officially began in May of 2008. A German-Polish project group was created with academic and political actors from both countries.

Current Status

In Warsaw, on December 1, 2010, the project group presented German and Polish leading political representatives with recommendations for the development of a joint textbook. 

The recommendations encompass conceptual suggestions for the development of the textbook volumes made by the project’s council of experts. The suggestions include concepts for a didactic framework and for five sections divided into epochs from antiquity to the 21st century that approach subjects central to European and global history from a German-Polish perspective.

"Schulbuch Geschichte. Ein deutsch-polnisches Projekt – Empfehlungen": German version

"Podręcznik do historii: Projekt polsko-niemiecki – Zalecenia": wersja polska

Further Steps

These recommendations provide important foundations for the forthcoming work of the publishers working in tandem. The project group calls for German and Polish textbook publishers to take part in the realisation of this unique project and is confident that an excellent publishing team will be formed.

Organisation

Alongside a German-Polish steering committee, a bi-national council of experts has been instituted to attend to the editorial work and publication process. The chairpersons are the leaders of the textbook commission, Prof. Michael G. Müller (Halle) and Prof. Robert Traba (Berlin/Warsaw). The project’s scientific coordination is delegated by Prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz (Wrocław) and Prof. Simone Lässig, the director of the Georg Eckert Institute. On the German side, the Brandenburg Minister of Education, Holger Ruprecht, covers the interests of the Conference of German Cultural Ministers in this project. On the Polish side, the acting Education Minister, Krzysztof Stanowski, acts as the project's national representative.

All committees are appointed with equal representation and the project is financed in equal measure by the governments of both countries.

The Georg Eckert Institute's Role

The GEI has adopted the project’s scientific coordination on the German side. The decision for the design of the textbook is based to a large extent on a GEI study. In this study the secondary school level curriculum of Poland, as well as that of all 16 German states, was analysed. With the development of the textbook, the GEI will work towards incorporating the differing didactic cultures of both countries.

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