Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]

Besides, none of us are saying that we are Polish in the same way as someone raised in Poland. Just that something about us because of our heritage makes us slightly different than other Americans. And it is fun to discover why we do what we do, eat what we do. Being American pulls us all together in the longrun, but we are just talking about enjoying knowing that some things we do are actually things that were passed down to us by a former culture, even without us knowing it came from there.

Perhaps it is something as simple as I believe the general European folklore that if you drop a fork versus a spoon, it predicts who is coming to the home. I mentioned that to my Polish friend who was visiting, and the same type of thing was said in his home.

Or because my other grandparents were Germanic, I have always said, "Make out the lights." In the American south people say, "Cut off the lights." Up north they say, "Turn off the lights." I've been made fun of for my expression, but my father said that. It turns out that that is a common error a German person learning English would say.

So each American has things that are unique to the ethnic group they came from and it is fun discovering where it came from. No need to belabour the point. You, noimmi may feel differently, but feelings are feelings. You can have yours and we ours. No need to convince anyone that either feelings are more wrong or right.

USA, Canada / Good job for Polish in USA [34]

No immigration. Think your clan always lived in Scotland? LOL

Immigration is nothing new. People will always migrate. Otherwise you might yourself still be somewhere in Africa. All of us came from there, and migrated.

Who knows, since the downturn in the economy is less pronounced in Poland, you may find yourself cleaning toilets there some day! :-D

Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]

:-P

And everyone has different things they enjoy or feel proud of. Whatever floats your boat is fine and dandy for YOU. Why pour cold water on someone who has a different outlook. Obviously, if many Americans do this, there is an inner need. And so you being non-American lack the ability to understand. This thread is about those who do understand.

Genealogy / Grandchildren of Polish Immigrants [26]

Hi Polam,

I've had the same experience. Almost identical. My parents seemed to know nothing and have no curiousity. Obviously the grandparents knew, and maybe were eager to be Americans and said nothing. Maybe the parents as kids just played with other kids who also had parents with accents. The time period of which you spoke about America was just full of immigrants. My mother learned Polish though, unlike her siblings. She was attached to her grandmother who spoke to her. I learned a few things from my grandmother, too. Mostly foods. :-)

For some strange reason, as I got older I was very curious. I knew little things, but not enough. Now I have been to most of the villages of my ancestors. Quite a task as no one told me where they were from. I had to piece it all together from documents. Jumping across the "pond" was the most difficult thing for me because most documents just said they were from German Poland or Russian Poland.

Like you, my heart swells with pride and good feeling towards Poland. I bore everyone around me though as if Poland were the only place on earth. My first flight over the land and I felt I was hyperventilating with happiness.

Of course, since I am of mixed ethnic background, I have Germanic grandparents as well. However they too lived in Poland when it was multinational and so no matter what, the land feels like a home. I truly love Poland.

Life / Poles are some of the most wonderful people. [18]

Anybody can use Polish characters. They are available when you post. Just above the box where one types.

So, if I say, Gdańsk, I just put my mouse up and grab the Polish letter.

History / Polish Anti-semitism - origins? [186]

It just shows that all peoples are capable of deeds of hatred. But, the problem is that we tend to only hear about what happened to the Jews. It was terrible, no attempt to minimize the tragedy, but there were other terrible things done for revenge to both Poles and Germans. Maybe some day we can really learn that one revenge leads to another and another.

I bring this up because interestingly, on a mail list that I subcribe to about Central Europe genealogy, someone recommended reading a book that is only in limited supply at the moment. Amazon has a few in stock.

The author is named John Sacks and he is Jewish. Even he had a hard time making the book known and if not for his being Jewish, it may never have seen the light of day.

Here is what one reviewer at Amazon said:

By Mariusz T. Wesolowski (North Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Eye for an Eye:

This fantastic piece of investigative journalism brought howls of impotent rage against its author, a Jewish writer, who dared to discuss the Jewish revenge on the German and Polish civilians right after the end of WW2. One of these executioners, Shlomo Morel, still lives in peace in Israel despite the Polish government's efforts to have him extradited and tried for genocide. A must read for anybody who doesn't passively accept the whitewashed story of the 20th-century East European Jewry.

Food / NO TIME FOR TATERS, RICE OR PASTA -- TRY KŁADZIONE! [8]

Mmmmmm....reminds me of my Mom. She always made those, but put them in a caserole dish, baked them after boiling with butter and bacon crumbled on top.

Genealogy / Has anyone taken Genealogy DNA tests? [87]

Yes, that is one reason why the Sorenson foundation has been doing DNA testing. For a long time, you could get it done free and after a period of time, you'd find your results posted on their website. Well, you'd figure it out due to searching for a surname, and looking for the MtDNA that matches all over the world. Or the Y-DNA.

Their goal is to demonstrate that we all can trace our lines back to one human and are related. So yes! *group hug*

Actually, you need only go back relatively few generations to find someone related to you. There were much less people generations ago. It is always funny when candidates are running for president and some genealogist tells us that say Obama is related to Cheney or some such thing. :-D

Not sure if I remember who it was he was related to...but probably someone remembers.

I also learned here at PF that blue eyes were a mutation and that before the first blue-eyed person, all had brown eyes. I have blue eyes...well grayish blue.

BUT, if you are interested in the history between the first blue-eyed parent or even before that, the first man or woman, it's neat to see where your ancestors roamed. We may say we are from here or there, but we all came from someplace else. Our genes tell a migratory story, and history of us.

I was pretty sure my results would show I was from Eastern Europe, and would have the most typical MtDNA for Poles since my mother's mother's line is Polish. (Lewandowski, Bubacz, Chmielewska, and Nowak).

Yet, I was verysurprised that when I traced every female back in my line with my MtDNA, it is one of the longest, (unbranched-out from another major European mother) lineages in Europe. Most scientists say that the only thing older in Europe would be Neanderthal!

So, I am from a blue-eyed indigenous European human stock. Closely related to the Saami reindeer-herding tribes. Unlike some who feel that they paid $200 to learn something they already knew, I learned something totally surprising to me. Of course, while not the most common Polish MtDNA, quite a few Poles have the same. U5.

I am thinking of asking my newly rediscovered 2nd cousin if she is curious as well, and take the test (as a gift from me). She carries my German grandmother's MtDNA which might give me some interesting history on that side of the family and maybe show some Kashubian or Dutch influence. Ultimately, it does make littlle difference in some ways though because culturally, I was brought up as an American with many traditions going back to Germans from along the Baltic and North Sea, and traditions of Poles from Gniezno, the heart of the Polish nation.

It is neat to know we are all one family! With lots of interesting cousins. :-)

Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

You're welcome! Good luck!

Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

Yes, there are plenty. And there are specific ones for specific areas. All you need to do is type in "Prussian geneology" on any search engine and you will find them.

One handy website has research links for Polish and Prussian research.
This is the link:

http://maxpages.com/poland/Prussian_Research

Food / History of the Polish potato (what did Polish people eat before?) [17]

Copol, thank you for asking that question, and Polonius3 for answering it. I found myself wondering the same thing when a class I had mentioned that the potato was exported from the New World during the age of explorations.

Not many people in America from what I can observe are familiar with buckwheat groats, or even millet. But millet is beginning to be an ingredient in some dried cereals or even the main ingredient. Mostly in the natural foods section. People that are into health foods are also probably more familiar with millet.

When I made it on the stove years ago, my friends thought I was eating bird seed. LOL

Those grains are all really good for you. Time they be eaten more. :-)

However, I do love potatos, too.

Language / SZCZ and ŚĆ HARD TO EXPLAIN [19]

Polson, with the examples "China" vs. "Chill" the "CH" sounds do sound the same to me, except that with the "CH" in "China" there is a long sounding vowel after the initial "CH". But with the "CH" in "Chill" there is a short sounding vowel after the intital "CH."

I have not practiced any Polish sounds in a long time, but remember that it is important where you place your tongue.

When saying "China" I noticed that I put my tongue more forward to achieve the long sound. And with "Chill" I put my tongue further back. Is this the difference?

Same thing applies to your other example. "Shark" vs. the end in "Attention". Is this what you mean?

Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

I see that there is no exact match for Woolschock. But they do have German names. And some that are very close. Spellings of names changed a lot over the years. Maybe one is the way Woolschocck was once spelled. Or maybe Posen is not the area of Prussia that you need. It is a start at eliminating things and then investigating others.

On the simple one name search, many German and Polish names came up:

Approximate matches
Protestant community in Poznań - Św.Piotr [Posen-Petrikirche], entry # 8 in 1850 score: Groom: 64%

Carl Ludwig Wilscheck (27)

Auguste Dorothea Buch (23)

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 31 in 1835 score: Groom: 61%

Ferdinand Wolschke (37) father: Paul Wolschke

Johanna Kurzhan nee Albrecht (40) Additional information: Witwe Christian Kurzhan

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 32 in 1835 score: Groom: 61%

Ernst Albert Wolschke (28) father: Gottfried Wolschke

Bertha Viebig (33) father: David Viebig

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 4 in 1837 score: Groom: 61%

Johann Samuel Wolschke (34) father: Johann Paul Wolschke

Marie Dorothea Korduan (26) father: Gottfried Korduan

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 8 in 1837 score: Bride: 61%

Ludwig Ferdinand Baum (42)

Caroline Wilhelmine Wolschke nee Hepke (42) Additional information: Witwer/Witwe des Heinrich Wolschke

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 25 in 1840 score: Bride: 61%

Franz Ludwig Kirslauter (45)

Anna Rosina Wolschke (37) Additional information: Witwe des Friedrich Wilhelm Wolschke

Protestant community in Międzyrzecz [Meseritz], entry # 30 in 1868 score: Bride: 61%

Johann Gustav Schneeweiss (24) father: Beniamin Schneeweiss

Johanna Elisabeth Wolschke (27) father: Eduard Wotschke

Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

This website helped me find my family. Lots of Americans find records in the USA that only say their family came from German-Poland. No villages mentioned or parishes. I got death certificates, ship's records, and censuses and all I could find was German-Poland. And a place that my aunt kind of remembered.

But, I knew the names of my grandparents, and great-grandparents and the name of my great-great grandfather and his wife's first name. I wanted to know what her maiden name was and the exact villages where the family originated.

Enter the Poznan Project, lots of people volunteered to transcribe the parish marriage records in Poznan/Posen, and put them in a searchable form online. I found my family, (it all fit....names and even the place that my aunt remembered), and then wrote to the parish and got the details of where the parents of the bride and groom were from, the witnesses to the wedding, etc.

bindweed.man.poznan.pl/posen/search.php

Love / Seeking advice - I get a feeling she is seeing other guys [25]

There would be nothing wrong when you are just beginning to date someone to date others, too. As long as you're upfront about it. What would cast a bad light on her would be if she says she sees only you, and then dates others.

If she is honest, it's called keeping your options open before a relationship becomes serious. If a man or woman wants you all to him/herself, they need to become exclusive, in other words, be in a committed relationship.

Until then, it's kind of old-fashioned dating if you are not sleeping around, but going on dates with others. In modern times, there is a tendency for people to be serial daters. As soon as they date one person, that is it. And you get close, maybe see that it is not the person for you, and then experience a painful breakup. And repeat the pattern again and again.

Perhaps it is better to date several people until one stands out. Again, as long as there is honesty.

Genealogy / i dont know if an ancestor was polish or german [21]

It's possible that she was Polish. Intermarriages were not too common, but did happen. I am proof of that. :-)

But, I also have a Ludwika in my line who was German. Her first name was recorded in the Polish form because they lived in Congress Poland (where vital statistics were by law recorded either in Polish, or later in Russian).

However, since your family were from the Prussian part of the partition, and her name is a Polish first name for Louise, I believe there is a good chance she actually was Polish. There would be no legal reason that I know of to change it to a Polish form. Maybe someone else will know more.

Again, find the town name, and you may also be able to learn what parish she was from, and look up the marriage record which would have her maiden name.

Good luck!

Travel / Anyone flew with Ryanair from Gdansk Yet? [8]

I flew from Dublin, Ireland to Gdańsk with no problems. The only thing I was not used to was that they had no assigned seats, or boarding by certain groups. So, the line was waiting outside the departing gates en mass.

Still, all was fine. I had a flight back to Dublin through Centralwings, but they went charter-only, and my flight was cancelled. I would not have known, if friends had not alerted me before my trip saving me the trouble of a nasty surprise at the airport in Poland.

Rearranged a flight with SAS to Denmark and then Dublin. I should have rebooked with Ryanair, but they had no flight back to Dublin the day I needed it. Duh.....I could have gone to London first with Ryanair, and then to Dublin.

All-in-all a great trip and I got to see a bit of Denmark. :-)

News / What did Poland get out of the wars and struggles for others? [1108]

My understanding is that ethnically Kashubians are a West Slavic group. Since they resided in Prussia and Poland, some culturally identified with Germans and others culturally identified with Poles. Those who viewed themselves as German mostly were expelled, or left Poland. Those who were Catholic and viewed themselves as Slavic, stayed.

When I was in Gdańsk in October there were many souvenirs one could buy of Kashubian arts and crafts. I also ate at a Kashubian restaurant that served fish from the lakes of that area.

It looked to me that they were a nice part of Polish society. Their language is very similar to Polish, and with the passage of time seems more like a dialect of Polish.

On the other hand, they have learned to celebrate their uniqueness and special customs within Polish society.

Love / Polish men vs German men: Who is hotter? [513]

Awwww....my Polish Prince! :-)

Love / Polish men vs German men: Who is hotter? [513]

What about someone who is half and half then? Purgartory? :-)

Love / Polish men vs German men: Who is hotter? [513]

Yes, it looks to me like he won! He was my favorite, too! :-)

USA, Canada / Stories from Babcia's homeland Poland- Please join in the discussion [29]

I am enjoying all the stories. And what Polonius3 has said is very true. Polish-American people gain a lot by being close to their grandparents. My mother was a 1st generation American, who could speak Polish.

That is because she loved going to her grandparent's house on her own every chance she got. Her brother and sisters were always busy playing with their friends, and did not spend one-on-one time with their grandmother like my Mom did. My maternal grandmother was 100% Polish, and so were the grandparents that my Mom visited. They came from Poznan, in the Gniezno area.

When my Mom was grown, and her Dad had passed away, her grown siblings were stunned that she could speak perfectly to her mother in Polish, and they understood nothing. Polish was not spoken in the home because my maternal grandmother had married an ethnic German from Poland, and he spoke German. The family never used either language, only English. Her sisters were so jealous! LOL

My mother taught me some Polish, and my grandmother said some sayings in Polish to me that I still remember.

But what I remember about my grandmother the most was her generous nature. She fed every stray cat, always shared whatever she had with guests expected and unexpected. When I went to Poland in 2000, my hosts told me, "God in house, guest in house." And that is just how my grandmother was.

When I was in my 8th month of pregnancy, I got a puppy. Everyone was telling me that it would be too much work with a newborn. But my grandmother, told me to keep the puppy for your son. And they grew up together. She loved the critters.

Here is a picture of my maternal grandmother with my Mom sometime in the 1940's in Brooklyn, New York. If I do this correctly. I am not good at posting pictures on here. :-)

Love / Polish men vs German men: Who is hotter? [513]

Oh yes! :-) I may be a babcia, but....... *wicked grin* just call me cougar! LOL

Looked at the overall picture, the one with their numbers and was attracted to #2
and #7.

#2 definitely had the bode, but overall I liked #7 the best! I do admire a great physique, but tend to be more into a normal-looking body that is used in activity without seeming to spend all the time in the gym.

What is strange is that I liked two blondes. I am usually open to the face and eyes and not so into a particular color.

Thanks for the eye candy. O.K. We need someone to post a Polish one or some more pix. These guys are upping the competition!

Life / ANYONE OWN A POLISH DOG? [22]

And the PON is great for people with allergies to dogs. All that hair, but no shedding! :-)

News / What did Poland get out of the wars and struggles for others? [1108]

I remember in history classes hearing how when you too heavily punish an adversary, it sows the seeds for the next war. With Japan, the USA learned from what happened after WWI with Germany, so after WWII, Japan was treated differently. No military activity allowed, we became her protector. Japan became prosperous and is now one of the best allies the USA has ever had.

So, I disagree with Babinich's technique of how to successfully settle a war.

News / All this mess about Danzig... [122]

*group hug* Hey, it's just hard to see the smile through the helmet! LOL

News / All this mess about Danzig... [122]

Ah....well, we can. On the great melting pot of the Polish Forum! :-)

News / All this mess about Danzig... [122]

That was funny. The "generous" bike route to East Prussia.

And makes a point. I think whether, Poles, Germans, Baltics, everyone could point to some injustice of the other.

BTW.....I was attempting to see if I could find the link that I mentioned. So far no luck, but on second thought I believe it was in regard to the Lithuanian Prussians that lived there and decided to align with Germany. Very complicated as to various Lithuanians and their views of each other. I think the speculation was that now that area is too hard to get to for Russia and some Lithuanian Prussians might like to resurrect Prussia based not on Germans, but original Pruss and Lithuanians.

My eyes cross attempting to understand all the former cultures and ethnicities in the area. :-/

News / All this mess about Danzig... [122]

No Borrka, I was unaware so much damage was done by the Red Army after the fighting. Thanks for the information. I do remember that everyone, Poles and Germans fled westward to escape them.

The prosperity of Gdańsk by contrast to Kaliningrad was an interesting observation.

However, I have read on the net soemwhere of some who would wish to make Kaliningrad once more a Prussian area. Not sure I can find the link again. If I do, I'll post it. Anyway, my point is never say never about claims. Even the weirest ones. LOL

News / All this mess about Danzig... [122]

When in Poland I received a gift of a large book printed in the 1960's that showed Gdańsk before the war, after the war and rebuilt. I too think it wonderful that it was reconstructed as close to how it was before the war!

It is a beautiful city today and definitely Polish, but long-time ago residents that are German also appreciate that it looks like the city they love. A real credit to Poles who during communist days had little money to do the reconstruction. I saw lots of pictures of ordinary Poles working hard on the details of the buildings.

I did not know until recently how different it was with Konigsberg, today called Kaliningrad.