Travel / Cracow over the weekend [45]

Tell it to the owner of the pub where I spotted this notice :)

Edit: I have just checked the enlarged photo. It reads: Show a good manners of your country.

Travel / Cracow over the weekend [45]

Guys, when you come to Krakow, pay attention to notices in toilets and follow the instructions:

Do not pee into the sink! Show good manners of your country!

And for some forgetful Poles: Nie załatwiać się do zlewu!

News / The Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, refused to sign the Treaty of Lisbon [43]


You information is correct. The Czech Republic can veto anything, just like Ireland. :)

What I meant, though, was not legal regulations, but the general impression created by Poland rejecting sth, compared to the Czech R.


Poor Czechs! They don`t deserve such a fate....:)

History / Jews-Officers in the Polish Armed Forces 1939-1945 [52]


If I said Catholic, it means faith, doesn`t it? :)

As for his ethnicity/race, there were conversions of Jews to Christian religion, but I doubt if this was so in his case.
The rumour about him being a Jew came into a being when he was a working politician. You knw that politicians love calling their opponents Jews to debase them and deacrease their popularity...

News / The Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, refused to sign the Treaty of Lisbon [43]


Well , the case of German President Koehler is similar to Kaczynski`. None has refused anything yet, but they attached certain conditions. Koehler demands German Court to decide if the treaty is constitutional, while Kaczynski looks on Ireland.

As you seem to be familiar with German topics and media (you probably work in Germany, don`t you??? Are you happy there??? :):):) ), look at this article from a German site whose headline is German President Suspends Ratification of EU Lisbon Treaty

News / The Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, refused to sign the Treaty of Lisbon [43]


Your info is not correct. Koehler hasn`t refused anything, he is still waiting for the decree of the German Court, trying to establish if the Treaty is in accordance with the German Constitution. But signing it will be a formality.


The Czech Republic doesn`t matter, while Poland is a heavyweight player among newly acepted countries. If Poland rejects the treaty, it will be a major setback.


Was Sarkozy wrong? Kaczynski is a liar who last yeart negotiated the treaty and today rejects it.... If immoral or just stupid, it is still to decide.... :):)


Good. You may pull out. I am staying and other Poles too....:):):)

History / Poland between 1989 - 2008... [7]


farrier Noun - chiefly Brit - a person who shoes horses [Latin ferrarius smith]

It seems you haven`t decided yet if you want to pursue financial career or the possibility of acquiring a new skill.
If you aim at profits, think about it. 2000pln is a decent pay for everyday expenses, but forget any serious saving or investment.

However, if you want to learn a new trade, with the prospect of taking it to America, then spending a few months or even a year for 2000 per month is worth considering.

News / The Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, refused to sign the Treaty of Lisbon [43]

It turns out again what inconsequent fool Kaczynski is. He negotiated the Lisbon Treaty last year with other EU countries` leaders and when the negotiations finished with a compomise, he put his signature on the treaty.

Today he is threatening to reject it. Surely such inconsequence won`t help him win more suport from Poles, which is already quite low.

I know he is playing a game with his political rival PM Tusk. Tusk`s government are a bit reluctant to the project of the rocket shield installation, they prolong their negotiations with Americans, while Kaczynski and his party are wholeheartedly for it. I suppose that soon we will witness an attempt at negotiations between Tusk and Kaczynski - Lisbon Treaty for the shield.

News / What if Poland has decided to withdraw from the European Union? [54]


I don`t think so. The current Polish political elite, both from the ruling party and the opposition, know very well that the majority of Poles, without a few percent probably, support the Union. This support will continue for years, because thanks to European funds, know-how, investment and law Poland has been modernising quickly in recent years, the economic growth is 6% and the unemplyment has dropped.


It`s a bit hysterical statement. If the Union was anti-slavic, would so many Slavic countries have joined it? Poland, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria...


Every nations has the right to promote its own development and economic success. Germany isn` t an exception, other countries are the same, Poland too. Who prevents Poles from achieving better results in Union than Germans??? Just because Germans work hard to develop their country, Poland should leave the Union?

I don`t think most Poles would like Poland to leave the Union. The advantages visibly exceed shortcomings....

FOund just today, an article from

polskieradio.pl/thenews/foreign-affairs/?id=85885

Poland most aided new EU state

Poland received two billion Euros from Brussels more in 2007 than in the previous year.

Poland's total aid was 5 billion euros net from the EU budget last year, more than any other EU new member state.

History / Jews-Officers in the Polish Armed Forces 1939-1945 [52]

Strange, because Mazowiecki has always been a confirmed Catholic, since 1950s.

History / Jews-Officers in the Polish Armed Forces 1939-1945 [52]

Mazowiecki was Jewish? I thought it was right wing propaganda...

Language / When to use nic and niczego [7]

Both are correct but nic is shorter so it`s seems more colloquial than niczego. If you want to sound impressive, use niczego. :):) in the fashion of Mr Kononowicz who promised Poles: Nie będzie niczego/There will be nothing. He intentionally used niczego instead of nic because he was taking part in presidential elections and wanted to make a bigger impression.....

History / Jews-Officers in the Polish Armed Forces 1939-1945 [52]


Yes, I read that about 10% of the Polish officer corps executed in Katyn were Jews.

Do you know if there is a monument or at least seperate gravesites to mark the Polish Jews participation in WW2 (apart from Ghetto Rising monument in Warsaw) ?

I know about some Jewish soldiers` sites in Poland but.....

this one is from WW1

and this one is in the military cemetery of the British Commonwealth in Krakow.

Genealogy / I have got alot of Polish DNA [51]

Aaaah, I see now!

Sorry I underestimated your erudition ... It won`t happen again :):)

Genealogy / I have got alot of Polish DNA [51]


Not really. 38 million Poles with their ethnic minorities, 52 million Ukrainians with minorities, about 150 million Russians with their ethnic minorities together make less than 250 million people. The world is populated by more than 6 billion people.

Love / Polish Gay Life [142]


It is warm and open-minded on most occasions. If it isn`t initially, the police make sure it is.

Genealogy / I have got alot of Polish DNA [51]

Guys, there is a pool of genes which is typical for Slavic nations such as Poles, Russians, Ukrainians.

There is a thread about it in this forum.
https://polishforums.com/genealogy/people-dark-complected-others-light-6524/3/

A citation from Mrhappy`s post:

In terms of Y-chromosome haplogroups the Poles are quite "Slavic". In other words, they are similar in this respect to the their ethnic kin in the east, the Russians and Ukranians. The most common haplogroup in all three nations is R1a - the dominant haplorgoup in eastern Europe. However, the Russians and Ukranians generally carry more of haplogroup N, which is seen most often in Finnic and Altaic populations. This suggests that the eastern Slavs absorbed Finno-Ugrian elements as they expanded east from their region of ethnogenesis.

Western European influence on the Poles via Y-chromosome haplogroups has not been great. Haplogroup R1b, most often seen in Celtic and Germanic populations, is found at levels of 7-17% in Poland. The typically Germanic I1a is even rarer, occuring at less than 6% in Poland as a whole.

In appears that the German, Dutch, Scottish, French and Italian migrants of the middle ages left a much lesser mark on Poland's population than previously thought. Invasions of Poland by Germans and Swedes also appear to have been rather minor influences on the present Poles' paternal makeup.

News / WAŁĘSA DEBATE RAGES ON... [9]

I see. You are just trying to figure it out.

Yes, it is true that most people on that list have some Jewish origin. But they are true Poles, anyway. They live and work in Poland, speak Polish etc.

The case of Polański is different because he never denied his Jewish roots. The only exception is during the war - Polanski was hidden by a few Polish families from the Nazis, so he had to change his name.

As for Walesa, I have just read an article about him in the newest issue of the popular magazine Wprost. They reproduce the communist secret police personal data form on Wałęsa. Nationality - Polish. Citizenship - Polish. Denomination - Catholic.

He didn`t change his name. He was always Wałęsa.

When the issue becomes archive, I will post this picture.

News / WAŁĘSA DEBATE RAGES ON... [9]

Dear Joe, are you really so credulous as to believe everything what is said on the Internet? If I say that Martians landed in Krakow, Poland, will you also happily spread this info to your family and friends in America? Wouldn`t you be afraid that it might be not true, and in result they will think low of you? :) :)

The problem is that such lists of true or alleged Jews in Polish political life are most commonly found on crazy nationalistic sites. We shouldn`t use them as reference if we want to stay serious.

Besides, I would never trust Babylon who considers Świat wg Kiepskich, a cheap sit-com about drunk lumpenproletaryat, the best Polish comedy ever. :) :) :)

News / WAŁĘSA DEBATE RAGES ON... [9]

You repeat this sick b....t about Jewish origin of Walesa because you really believe it or because it serves some ironic mockery purpose?

History / Why has Poland been attacked so often by its neighbors? [180]


If you call bigger villages towns, then it is a correct statement about Russia.

If we stick to the notion that a village is a village and not a town, then we have about 70% of the Russian population living in urban areas.

globalis.gvu.unu.edu/indicator_detail.cfm?IndicatorID=30&Country=RU
As you can see from the chart, 90% will be in 2100.


Feeding the world by Russia is a dream.....

First of all, Russia hasn't got enough good soils. Unfortunately for Russians, Russia is not Ukraine :) :)
Secondly, Russian climate doesn't allow good crops (either too cold or too dry) in agriculture.

Now, the matter of peasants.

Russia hasn't the class of peasants because they were exterminated by Stalin or turned into socialist farm slaves for kolkhoz purposes. We all know that when kolkhozes existed during communism, the Soviet Union (with Ukraine!) was never able to produce enough grain to feed its peoples. Large quantities of grain were imported from the USA and others, and it wasn't the problem of the climate or soils.

Today the kolkhoz mentality is still prevailing among farm workers, who are neither farmers nor peasants. They don`t own the land, so they don`t care about work.

That is why Russia won`t be able to feed not only the world but also itself in the nearest future, it already has to import a lot of food today, just like in times of the USSR.

cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html

Travel / What is it like in Jastrzębie-Zdrój? [6]

Ufortunately, it is true. My wife`s distant family live in Jastrzębie, we went there once and never wanted to come back again. We went for a walk among blocks of flats and that was the biggest attraction available.

It is a sad grey place built after WW2 with two working coal mines. Or three.

Language / POLISH LANGUAGE CONTRIBUTIONS TO ENGLISH [11]


The list is a bit longer but do not expect any revelations.

Vodka comes from wódka.
Pierogi.
Mead comes from miód.
Kielbasa.
Polka.
Mazurka.

That is rather all.

Travel / How to Go from Szczecin to Krakow? Drive?, Train?, Bus? Fly? [8]


Last year we drove from Krakow to Wolin which is above Szczecin on the map. The whole journey took us 9 hours. We set off at 4 am when the traffic was little. We took the highway from Krakow to Legnica near Wrocław, then headed straight to the north to Szczecin. There were a few breaks to fill in auto gas and straighten the legs.

We need to subtract some time from my 9 hour ride because we went farther than Szczecin destination. But taking into consideration that you are not a driver accustomed to Polish style of driving (which is seen as aggressive by foreign drivers), I estimate you will cover the route Szczecin - Krakow from 10 to 12 hours if it is in the morning with low traffic.

PS. The route is very simple, you can`t get lost, just driving straight ahead on international roads, that`s all. I was also concerned but later didn`t regret.

PS2. We were going on holiday to the Polish seaside last year.

PS3. The highway Krakow- Wrocław is a fast connection but beyond it you will lose a lot of time driving through towns and villages which don`t have by-passes.

Study / Last Day Of School in Poland [4]

I always take my camera. In result, I don`t know where to keep all those photos.

You forgot to mention there`s a lot of cheek kissing. Here are pics from the last day of school for the third form in April.

History / Why has Poland been attacked so often by its neighbors? [180]


I meant those people who had mixed heritage or were Kashub and Silesian. Many were put on the list against their will, many joined voluntarily to avoid repressions.They felt Polish, but were drafted in Wehrmacht anyway.

Now, imagine, if your best soccer player, Podolski (born in Poland), was forcefully drafted into the Polish army although he is German now, wouldn`t it be the same as what Germans did with Poles during WW2? :) :) :)


There weren`t too many Polish politicians ready to take up such positions. Poland didn`t have its Petain or Quisling and it is a reason to be proud.


Yes, it might be the case.

Language / example for "bronić" [12]

Why do you need so many people to defend you? Do you have any problems?

Life / The materials used for house building in PL, most popular? [10]


In Poland full bricks or hollow bricks are used.

broken link removed

History / Why has Poland been attacked so often by its neighbors? [180]

I will gladly help you supplement your historical knowledge. It seems to be incomplete.... :)

The Deutsche Volksliste categorised Poles into one of four categories:

* Category I: Volksdeutsche-Persons of German descent who had engaged themselves in favour of the Reich before 1939.
* Category II: Deutschstämmige-Persons of German descent who had remained passive.
* Category III: Eingedeutschte-autochtonic persons considered by Nazis as partly Polonized (mainly Silesians and Kashubs); refusal to join this list could lead to deportation to a concentration camp

* Category IV: Rückgedeutschte-Persons of Polish nationality considered "racially valuable", supportive of the Reich (e.g., collaborators)

Let`s look how it was done in Silesia region:

The remaining population of the interwar Silesian Voivodeship was inscribed onto the Deutsche Volksliste (DVL, German National List). The DVL's groups I and II contained 300 thousand persons of indubitable Germanness and the groups III and IV one million potential Germans. Berlin extended full citizenship only to the members of the groups I and II. The rest were mere state-members. But as Staatsanagehörige they could not be drafted into the Wehrmacht. With the opening of the eastern front in 1941 the need for soldiers became so acute that the group III (comprising about 940 thousand persons) were granted with Reichsbürgerschaft (Boda-Krężel, 1978: 13-20).

In general 300-400.000 people were conscripted by Wehrmacht in Upper Silesia, which contained a high number of German minority, ,many against their will by either forcing them to sign Volskdeutsche lists or signing them on them without their agreement.

Names very often appeared on the Volksliste without the consent of the owner. Very often fear promoted people to sign and often, given the harsh terms of the Nazi occupation, the promise of better conditions were enough incentive for people to sign up. Franciszek Janikowski was a Pomeranian who had been conscripted to the German Army before joining the Polish 1st Armoured Division. His appearance on the Volksliste was typical:

"My father worked on the railways. He had no land and no fortune so he was afraid. When they took them away in 1942 and asked who doesn't want to be Germanised? Nobody answered. My father signed and, as he told me later, he thought: I have a son ..."


Polish deserters from Wehrmacht who joined Polish Army were estimated at 83.000.
Out of those 60.000 were from Upper Silesia.

Links to above info are here, unfortunately some are in Polish, but there is also one in German.

A site about Polish Armed Forces in the West
angelfire.com/ok2/polisharmy/chapter3.html

The hostages of war - a magazine article

"I didn`t want to go to that army" - memories of Silesians forcefully drafted into Wehrmacht
alfa.com.pl/slask/200501/s10.html

The historical forum, the thread`s title is Poles in German Army.
odkrywca-online.pl/pokaz_watek.php?id=385407

Polen in Wehrmacht, a site in German
www1.ku-eichstaett.de/ZIMOS/forum/docs/kochan.htm

An article entitled DUAL CITIZENSHIP IN OPOLE SILESIA IN THE CONTEXT OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

History / Why has Poland been attacked so often by its neighbors? [180]


Nope.
Germans, when it became obvious they were losing the war, began drafting everybody. It means they closed an eye to the fact that Poles who lived in Silesia or Pommerania regions considered themselves Polish. They were drafted anyway. Most of them deserted to the allies` side. The Polish Army in the West was regularly supplied by such Wehrmacht deserters, there was a special consent of American and British headquarters for that process.

At the end of the war, Germans started drafting Russian POWs or volunteers into elite SS forces.

So, once considered Untermenschen, Slavic people were used by Germans as a last resort to continue/prolong the war.


LOL, come back to Poland in 10 years`time, you will see the difference....