Non-Polish members - what knowledge does your country have about Poland?

What is the general knowledge about Poland and polish history in your country? Particularly the situation before, during and after WWII. Do you learn about Poland in school? Do you know any famous poles? Is the view of polish people positive or negative when it comes to historical events?

My boyfriend who's not Polish knew only one thing before he met me: that Polish girls are hot. Then he learnt another thing from me and my family: vodka is strong. That would be it as he's a dumb ignorant and never managed to learn more. When it comes to WWII he always says things like 'We Brits saved your country'. LOL pathetic.

The most I knew about Poland prior to their membership to the EU was about Lech Wałęsa and his fight for workers rights and that Poland was under communism after WWII oh and they had lovely beaches (I worked with a woman when I was about 17 that who was born here (UK) but had Polish parents and she used to go there for her holidays)

To add to Wypsi's comments about the vodka, my eldest brothers best friend's parents are Polish and they plied him with vodka one xmas and he was very ill ;0)

Almost non-existing.Most know that Poles are catholics.They are also regarded as good workers.


No.Except the role at the beginning of WW2.


Only Jatschek Gmoch is widely known here.


Positive.

Not much. There is quite possibly more known now. Probably in certain areas of Scotland more is known about Poland than in others but that it because of the linked history between the two. Nothing much was taught about Poland in school when I was there but that's a while back. ;) Even in history class Poland was mentioned rarely, only to do with WWII. I do know now that there is a little more being taught about Poland but that might not be every school. My local primary school does but that might be because there are a lot of Polish children there and they've always been good at integrating other cultures into the school.

Really, prior to 2004 there was no reason for anything particular about Poland to be taught in schools. There may be more of a case for it now and in the future though.

Well in Norwegian School books it's only about invasion 1939.
Maybe sometimes battle of Narvik.
But in my class when somebody is from/has connections another country he/she makes a presentation for the whole class. I had about Poland :)

And the class loved it, mostly because they didn't have to write down anything but some guys asked me about some things. I also had my own presentation of 1936-1940, took on myself an Polish uniform and helmet (Communistic times but they didn't notice ofcourse xD )

They loved my helmet, playing with and taking pictures and all. First time they touched a real military helmet.

Back in the 80 I worked as a tour guide in Krakow. One day I had a small group of tourists from Japan. I had a young guy interpreting from Polish to Japanese. During lunch I asked him how come he speaks such a good Polish. He said that when he was going to school in Japan they taught them about Polish upraises during 17th century. That topic fascinated him to the point that he came to Poland, is studying Polish history at the Warsaw University and is learning Polish. He wanted to understand why we kept fighting so much. He said that Japanese would raise maybe ones and that would be all but we kept doing it over and over again and that was amazing to him. That experience made me wonder myself.

Due to my personal interests about WWII I knew a lot about Poland or Europe but the general knowledge about it could be better. Some other European countries are more popular in the US.

Generally speaking, the Japanese have zero knowledge about Poland, apart from its geographical location and some music - Chopin, for example.

I would argue with that, too :)

When I lived in Australia I met hundreds of Japanese, and this was an ongoing dialog:
- Where are you from?
- I am from Poland.
- Poland! Cool! Where is Poland?

:)

maybe you misheard them and they were asking Where in Poland. they geographical knowlege could be so good that they not only knew where Poland is but also had an idea about the location of polish cities (;

It is not even funny. Everybody knows that Poles are:

1. Ruther dullish
2. Superstitious Catholics
3. Unlucky

Besides they have vodka which is inferior to Russian and butiful girls who nevertheless are inferior to Russian girls. Should I proceed?

Russians REALLY have to accept the fact that vodka is a Polish invention.
You stole it from us and try to pretend that it's your national drink, but
we'll always remember that it was Poles making it first.


Well, in my opinion, everyone is entitled to be stupid but you're really
abusing that privilege with posts like that, Constantine.

The only Russian invention was balalayka. That's it. One, two-strings instrument. Most sophisticated or advanced would be three strings, but not many will be able to perform on it unless completely drunk.


I don't think you can attribute it to anyone specifically.


I am not Russian and not Polish, but Polish women are unsurpassed in beauty on average, different story with the heart, though.

Yeah. I'll take that rather than being Russian which are:

1. Totally demoralized
2. Uneducated poor simpletons
3. Passive and easy to manipulate

Have your cheap vodka, Kostia. Just be careful when you start loosing your sight :)

Hmm, I don't think so, because actually vodka is an Italian, to be more precise, it was Genoese invention.


Actually it has three strings. Rmember this boy.


Actually I don't care, because I like boys, not girls. Anyway Polish men are ugly, just cast a look on their president, brrr

hahaha, its so easy for you muslims to move to the civilized world but its so hard to get rid of your uncivilized mentality

as opposite to great west with the many homosexualis and disgustin behaviors? good luck in future man. soon it will be arabs, asian and african rulint he world.

Peace, guys! There are gays among muslims and there is heterosexual love in the west as well. So, peace.

Regrettably, Poland and Polish people remain the butt of idiotic jokes, told and retold by the majority of ignorant Americans (except of course for Polish-Americans). It saddens me beyond measure that when I remarked to several members of my own family that I was seriously studying Polish and asked if they even knew some of the language, they asked half-kiddingly "Do I know Polish? Well, I know a Polish joke!", followed by smirks at the table.

Someone's just simply got to start doing some better PR on behalf of Poland, I'm really sick of such abject ignorance!

I wouldn't count on that, Teddybear.

Western Europe - you may get eventually, they lost their balls
and bent over for you to fcuk them (sharia courts in UK, etc.)
but if you think that you can pull the same trick with USA,
eastern Europe or Russia then you need to think again.

Example? When I was in Ireland, some muslims protested against
Christmas nativity scene in front of a Catholic cathedral (I think
it was in Armagh). The nativity scene was removed (!).
I'd fecking love to see them trying that kind of protest in Poland LMAO

Who cares about some bunch of us-imbeciles ?
Don't get so exited - it's bad for the blood presure.

As an American the USA knows very much about Poland but mostley about Poland by WW@ and after that. but for me I know the whoole wstory about Poland I know more about Pooland then the average American but some dont knhow what Poland is.

Well it's on the wane, but yeah it's embarassing. It was more prominent in the 70s - 80s though.

I personally didn't know much about Poland before I came. I wouldn't say I was ashamed about the fact. I couldn't tell you much about France, Germany or Spain either. But then I grew up in the Middle East and South East Asia so all my schooling and friends came from that part of the world. I would not call myself ignorant because I was willing to learn and almost annoyed my friends to the level of insanity with my questions. But I still went to Poland with little knowledge of the traditions or customs.

So yeah, I knew bugger all but learned because I wanted to. I had a depressing conversation with a 15 year old girl today in the shop who has 2 polish people in her class at school and she was going on slagging off all Polish people about how they are coming here and stealing all our jobs and basically reciting the daily mail...is that what they are teaching in schools and homes these days?

Being from the Texas...we learned nothing about Poland except for dumb Polish jokes. I only knew about current events such as Lech Weleska from the news, but nothing else...only the Polish joke Ronald Reagan made against the Poles which was nasty. It's kind of sad that we in America do not learn as much about Europe. But as my friend stated...anyone that was part of that Eastern Block is truly not recognized by the U.S. in our books.

We are good about burying our heads in the sand about things....

Most of my friends say they didn't know Poland existed before meeting me. (well, they met me when we was really young)
In history books polish history is wrong or "not so exact", for example my history book talking a little about the ottoman empire says that it was really a great power and in battle of Varna or something like that it defeated a polish-serbian-hungarian army killing polish king, there is written that it continued expanding until 1683 but not what happened in that year.

about WWII everywhere you can read "Poland surrendered after some weeks because it failed in modernization of its army" and bye bye for the whole war.

they also asked me if in Poland they talked english or russian.
on the other way older people who lived in the '80s knows Lech Walesa and Solidarnosc
P.s. I'm talking about Italy

I have been to Italy (A little tourist city)
Allmost nobody could speak English, and when I was asking some boys (15-17) they didn't understand a word! I was truely shocked! Ive also seen dubbing of Movies!

In Norway everything is subbed!
It was so wierd!
In Poland was like in Italy long time, but now it's all getting better

Yeah and my dad was on a football match between Norway-Poland
They had written "Go back to your strawberry country" he laughed his ass off! :P
Like if yeah a country filled with only strawberry

Yeah english is a problem, I think it's because they teach it sooo bad, only gramatical rules and no speaking or listening real english.

i think dubbing is normal, i don't like subbed movies and think polish dubbing is terrible... one man who dubs the whole movie @_@

That's Lector
Was/is used in the eastern part of the carpet and in Nazi Germany + Fascist Italy

Totalitarian tool I say.