Life / Germans and Poles - Fiction or Myth? [127]

Germans and Poles – Fiction or Myth?

As a German I am very well aware that fellow Europeans – especially those, whose countries suffered at German hands – resent us for what our grandparents have done or haven’t done, and I can understand that to a certain degree, really: What a suspicious people whose grandpas cold-bloodedly committed genocide on a grand industrial scale, no matter how pacifist, liberal and urbane their offspring appear to be these days. But the Germanophobic attitude of the Polish media, the Polish elite (e.g. those twins!) and last but not least of some of the people here in this forum seem to proof that this venomous relationship is a helpless case. The German attitude towards Poland on the other hand is – especially in West Germany – predominantly based on indifference and a complete lack of interest (ask 5 Germans about Erika Steinbach and the Prussian Trust’s territorial claims, and 4 people have no idea what you’re talking about and the one who does, doesn’t give a ****).

BUT having said that, my personal experience is quite the opposite: Whenever I meet Poles (in Hamburg there is a huge Polish diaspora) they are anything but hostile. At work, as clients, at cocktail parties, in clubs, at birthdays, at academic symposia etc. – it is always rewarding to encounter Poles. They are very open-minded, easy-going and tolerant, have a great sense of humour and are fun to hang out with. Some are very sophisticated, some aren’t, but they almost always show an interest in what you do and as colleagues they are diligent and fair. Poles are my favourite group of immigrants, we really benefit from them, don’t we? And even as a tourist in Poland I was always treated with respect and no one despised me when I revealed my Teuton provenance.

Now – Am I wrong? What about the alleged mutual animosities?