August 23, 1953: Polish government waivesclaims to reparations from Germany

On August 23, 1953, the government of the People's Republic of Poland, headed personally by Bolesław Bierut, then First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party, adopted Poland’s declaration to cease collecting war reparations from Germany. Poland had been receiving such reparations since 1945 via the Soviet Union. The final payment was scheduled for late 1953. Without a doubt, the declaration was forced upon the Polish authorities by the Kremlin, which sought to pivot on its policy towards Germany.