Polsko-duńskie stosunki gospodarcze w latach 1945–1946

• Authors: Magda Gawinecka-Woźniak

Title variants

EN

The Polish-Danish economic relations in the years 1945–1946

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The Polish-Danish diplomatic relations were officially established on 7 July 1945, when the Danish government acknowledged the Provisional Government of National Unity. The attempts to establish mutual relations started in June 1945, and the person who represented Poland was Jerzy Pański, the founder of the Association of Polish Patriots in Sweden and the representative of the information agency Polpress. Re-established Polish-Danish relations after WW II were dominated by economic contacts, because it was a difficult economic situation in both countries that made them start and continue the cooperation. In postwar Denmark there was a shortage of energy raw materials such as coal and coke, and the main trade partners of Denmark in the interwar period – Great Britain and Germany – were unable to satisfy the needs of Denmark. Danish politicians came up with an idea to obtain coal from Poland. Quite a few countries sought the delivery of coal at that time. Poland wanted to gain international recognition for its government, to reconstruct the country and to guarantee Poles deliveries of food. Agricultural and industrial articles constituted the basis of the Danish export. In the years 1945–1946 the first Polish-Danish trade contracts were made, which reestablished economic contacts, interrupted by the war. They outlined the direction of the cooperation for the next few years. The trade agreement of 29 August 1945 was a typical compensational contract – Poland exported coal and coke to Denmark, and in return Poland got butter, bacon, horses, cattle, seeds and fish. The total value of the turnover amounted to 54 million Danish crowns. The Polish-Danish trade and payment agreement of 7 October 1946 was more diversified , and the list of goods offered by both countries was more extensive. Poland saw to it that the list of products exported to Denmark was not so one-sided and based only on coal. Coal still constituted the basis of Polish export, but Denmark was interested in purchasing Polish zinc-plated sheet metal, glass and sanitary porcelain. The total value of the mutual exchange rose to 184 million Danish crowns. In the first postwar years Denmark was engaged in charity help for destroyed Poland. Danes gave food to children and the elderly, collected clothes, and what is most important they guaranteed medical help, thanks to which they won favour with Polish people.

Keywords

EN

Poland; Denmark; economic relations; coal; trade agreements

• Publisher: Towarzystwo Naukowe w Toruniu
• Journal: Zapiski Historyczne
• Year: 2010
• Volume: 75
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 39-58

Contributors

author

Magda Gawinecka-Woźniak

• Instytut Historii i Archiwistyki, Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika