Poles played the German anthem for the Germans.
Prime Minister Cyrankiewicz, who,
like millions of Poles, had suffered in a German concentration camp,
silently passes by the honorary troops beside the Federal Chancellor.
There was a tense seriousness during the signing ceremony
at the Polish Council of Ministers building.
Willy Brandt and Josef Cyrankiewicz signed a treaty,
which hopes to build a bridge between the two nations
and initialize reconciliation.
Centerpiece of the treaty:
West Germany recognizes the Oder-Neisse line as Poland's western border.
25 years later, the Federal Republic
accepts the consequences of Germany's defeat in World War II.
After exchanging documents,
a handshake with Poland's party leader Gomulka.
The Polish and Germans also thank former State Secretary Duckwitz,
who prepared the treaty in the preceding months.
The agreed emigration of Poles of German origins
and the announced start of diplomatic relations:
These successes will, however, not prevent
the test of strength in the German Bundestag,
which Brandt also discussed with his Polish hosts.
The Warsaw Ghetto Monumentin the center of the city
commemorating the uprising of 1943 and the Jews murdered.
Confronted with one of the darkest chapters in Germany history,
the Chancellor reacted with a spontaneous gesture.
Copyright © 2012 TITELBILD, Berlin Subtitles: L. Corper et al.