Germany is a key economic partner for Poland, but our relations are marked by historical baggage that may be an obstacle to building good neighbourly ties. The nature of the primary sources of knowledge that Poles have about Germans and Germany largely informs the nature of our relations. A greater number of direct contacts may promote greater openness and trust, while a dominance of media or stereotype-based information can reinforce the distance between the two nations.

According to our latest survey, the most popular sources of knowledge about Germans and Germany for nearly six out of ten Poles are the internet (59%) and television programs (57%). Contacts with Germans as a source of information about our western neighbours are indicated by 13% of respondents, the same result we obtained in the previous survey conducted in June 2016.

Where do you primarily get your knowledge about Germany and Germans? From …

Half of Poles have visited Germany since 1989, i.e. 10 percentage more than in the last measurement. For the first time in the history of our surveys, the percentage of people who travelled to Germany after 1989 is the same as those who have not had that opportunity.

Have you been to Germany after 1989?

Poles most often travel to Germany for tourism (37%) and to visit family or friends (22%). Work-related trips (18%) remain quite popular. It is worth noting that personal stays in Germany are slowly becoming a significant source of knowledge about Germans and Germany for Poles, as their importance is growing with each measurement.