Hope and fear accompanied the political upheaval in Europe two decades ago, in equal measure. Poland was going through a dramatic transformation and suddenly had new neighbors to the west: the country now bordered the new unified Germany.

In that situation, Germany's recognition of the Oder-Neisse line and the signing of a new cooperation treaty were more than just gestures.

"The treaty between the traditionally antagonistic states stabilized the political situation in Europe," says the young Polish historian Tytus Jaskulowski. He is co-author of a recently-released series of interviews with the witnesses to history - those who signed and negotiated the treaty 20 years ago.

His conclusion: "In fact this document set a precedent in Polish-German history, which could only be compared with the Elysée Treaty" - the friendship treaty signed by Germany and France back in 1963. Trust as a basis for cooperation between Germany and Poland - that had never been stated so clearly in relations between the two countries.

On June 17, 1991 Bielecki (left) and Kohl (right) signed the cooperation treaty in Bonn

Treaty for the future

Both states placed importance on good neighborly relations. Poland hoped to get more security from the treaty and Germany used the opportunity to prove its credibility after reunification. Warsaw needed German support in order to get more clout in western circles, and Bonn wanted more rights for Germans living in Poland: there was a lot on the agenda.

After almost two years of negotiations, the treaty was ready on June 17, 1991. Then-German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and then-Polish Prime Minister Krzysztof Bielecki signed the "treaty on good neighborliness and friendly cooperation." The document lays down 38 articles for future joint work - from security and the economy to the environment and youth exchange. The German community in Poland were awarded minority status and were allowed to cultivate their language and culture. Poland for its part was given support to achieve its ambitions in Europe.

Getting to know the neighbors

Germany helped Poland with its European ambitions

Above all, the treaty opened opportunities for people on both sides of the border, who wanted to get to know their neighbors. With the signing of the treaty a number of institutions were created, like the German-Polish Youth Association. There were also 650 new local partnerships between the two countries and two million young people have benefited from exchanges.

There have also been thousands of encounters between students, academics and artists thanks to bursary programs. Historian Tytus Jaskulowski, 35, is among those who have benefitted.

"I came to Germany in the mid-1990s on a grant," Jaskulowski explained. "there was a German-Polish student exchange program before that, but never on the scale that became possible after 1991."

Looking away - sometimes not a bad idea

"Even when the treaty seems so self-evident today, there was a long road leading up to it," says Tadeusz Mazowiecki, the first non-communist Prime Minister of Poland after 1989. He stresses that the document was "a special compromise, because both sides had to take it on with a big dose of trust."

Young people take part in exchanges in Germany and Poland

There were indeed a number of areas where the Germans and the Poles couldn't reach agreement. Germany refused to recognize Poles living in Germany as a minority group and the question of compensation for Germans driven out of Poland after World War II remained a sore point.

"The key was when both sides understood that these areas were holding everything up, and either they had to look away from them and factor them out or there would never have been an agreement," Jaskulowski says. In the end they agreed to omit the big stumbling points and to give neighborliness a chance. After 20 years, the balance shows that the sums added up.

An example for Europe

The treaty is still relevant two decades on. "It was governed by historical responsibility and it was designed for a common future," says Hans-Dietrich Genscher, who was German foreign minister at the time. Young historians like Tytus Jaskolowski see a universal value in the 1991 document.

"The German-Polish cooperation treaty has gained a European dimension in the meantime." Jaskulowski argues. "It's based on the principal of helping your neighbor - that's something that we urgently need in Europe today, whether in the East or in North Africa."

Author: Rosalia Romaniec / jli

Editor: Nicole Goebel