The narrative of history textbooks is a derivative of the historiographical message prevailing and, perhaps above all, the historical policy created by the state authorities. History textbooks are also considered to be among the primary factors that shape, for whole generations, the social memory of the past. The aim of this article is to present the critical points in the history of Polish-German relations, which are reflected in the history textbooks of the 20th and 21st centuries, and to attempt to show the potential impact of this message on the attitudes of the older (educated until 1989) and younger generation of Poles (through the prism of survey research). The picture of Polish-German relations contained in the compendia is shown in a broader context, both of current politics and historiography, which complements the previous coverage. In addition, the latest results of surveys addressing the subject of Polish-German relations are included.