No. 101 - 'The ambivalent image of Poland in Germany’

Institute for Western Affairs' Bulletin (No. 101/2012) Prof. A. Sakson, 'The ambivalent image of Poland in Germany'

A characteristic feature of the image of Poland and Poles in the German media is its dualism. On the one hand, Poland is perceived as a dynamic and modernizing country with a stable economy and democratic structures of power. On the other - the German public opinion is shocked by the wave of thefts, especially carjacking, rising mainly within the Polish-German borderlands. The negative stereotypes concerning Poland and Poles, which are present in the German society and have a deep historical background, are still strong.