Germany and Poland Sign Border Treaty: Oder-Neisse Confirmed
Germany and Poland signed a border treaty on November 14, 1990, confirming the Oder-Neisse line as the permanent boundary between the two nations. The border had been imposed by the Allies at Potsdam in 1945, transferring Silesia, Pomerania, and parts of East Prussia from Germany to Poland. Roughly 12 million Germans were expelled from these territories in one of the largest forced population transfers in history. West Germany had refused to formally recognize the border for 45 years, maintaining that a final settlement required a peace treaty and German reunification. When reunification came in 1990, Poland demanded and received a binding border treaty as a condition of its support. The treaty closed the last major territorial dispute from World War II in Europe and opened the path for Polish membership in NATO and the European Union.
November 14, 1990
36 years ago
Key Figures & Places
Germany
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Federal Republic of Germany
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Poland
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German reunification
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Republic of Poland
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Oder-Neisse line
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Oder–Neisse line
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German reunification
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Germany
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German–Polish Border Treaty
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Oder–Neisse line
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Berlin Conference
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Imperialismo
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Frontière entre l'Allemagne et la Pologne
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West Germany
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Poland
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