Matthias Nawrat

Nawrat explains that as a native Pole he does not really have a role to play in the current migration discourse anyway. “As a Pole, you only have the small migration badge in Germany, the ‘seahorse’ for migration, so to speak.” In his opinion, Poland and other Eastern European countries should play a much more central role in the debate around German colonialism. In any case, he wishes that the Poles and Germans, who are neighbours after all, knew more about each other so that they could develop a more differentiated viewpoint. He would see this as a means for approaching each other on an equal footing and as a countermeasure for the moral superiority on both sides.

Matthias Nawrat travels to Poland five or six times a year, either alone or with his girlfriend. His grandmother, two uncles and an aunt still live there. He now has friends in towns, such as Warsaw and Wrocław, as well, where he also holds book readings. What he likes about the Poles is their humour, their defiant manner, which can be romantic as well, but then often very pragmatic too. He also likes the Polish intellect, which in Nawrat’s opinion, looks at people more holistically due to their greater proximity to religion. He also thinks that many people in Poland have a deeper understanding of freedom than people in the West as a result of their historical experience. He is amazed at the battle that many Poles wage against the current “dictocracy”.

What Nawrat values about Germany are the many traditions of thought of the Frankfurt School that have an ideological bias and which have shaped many of his friends. He also attests to the fact that many Germans have an attitude towards foreigners that is unique within Europe. Of course, there is xenophobia in Germany as well, but there is also extensive experience of accepting people from other countries, from which people in Poland could certainly learn. 

Anselm Neft, December 2021

The author on the Internet: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthias_Nawrat