Toxic Conditions, Not Only on the Oder River

Abstract

Political relations between Poland and Germany are bad. They are marked by disagreement and alienation. So, this is a good time for political cartoons. Traditionally, these are devoted to people and issues from domestic politics. But the debates about Poland’s handling of refugees from the Middle East, the disagreements between Brussels and Warsaw over the rule of law, and the death of thousands of fish in the Oder River in August 2022 provide cartoonists with plenty of material. Some rely on the function of caricature as a means of exposing political folly and corruption, while others allow their art to be used for propaganda.