What nation do Poles feel closer to?

Czechs,Ukrainians,Belarussians?Or Magyars?

Obvious choice.

Which reminds me that the Day of Polish-Hungarian Friendship (23rd March) is coming!

I can't wait! :)

I remember Czesław Miłosz writing somewhere that the two nations Poles have the most affection for are the Serbs and the Hungarians, so my guess is the Magyars.

Another voice for Hungary! Thank you very much.

Yes,but Poles do not look like Magyars nor do they share the same traditions.I mean culturally who they feel closer?

I think you'd be wrong here, my ignorant Balkan friend. How is your Polish? If it's good enough
I can send you a couple of books, so you can educate yourself.


For the last time - HUNGARIANS!!!

I would say Hungarians too because of Stefan Batory. And then Ukrainians for being our countrymen in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Clearly Hungarians. Batory was one of our greatest kings.


jasinski.co.uk/wojna/conflicts/conf03.htm

My polish is not very good at the moment but I try.Maybe there is a more negative view on Hungarians here because of Attila I don't know.I was surprised to find out that this blood thirsty barbarian is honored as a hero in Hungary.

Are you Hungarian Torq?

The Ukis lost our love when the OUN/UPA murdered over 100,000 Polish civilians in 1943. We want to forgive them but they are making it hard lately. The Russians are happy about that.

You see, Southern - what did I tell you? :)


Only at heart :)

Attila was an actual Hun, the Magyars arrived in Hungary several centuries after than him.

Some of those posters for the Day of Hungarian-Polish friendship are really cool.

Hungary took over the EU presidency on 1 January 2011, therefore Poland votes on her behalf on issues in the EU. So you could say until July 1, 2011. Hungary and Poland will be very close.

And Jozef Bem and King Władysław Warneńczyk

I would say Poles feel closet to Hungarians.

Despite language and cultural differences, it seems the Polish and Hungarian heart and soul is quite similar.

This youtube video Poland-Hungarian Brotherhood I find very interesting

youtube.com/watch?v=_YJVO6jPaR0

But then Poland gets the presidency right after :)

But what does an average Pole know about Hungary and Hungarians? Not much I'm afraid. We don't even know our neighbours...

Actually, the country we know the most about is Germany... and now probably also GB. ;)

Well, I read 11 books about Hungary and Polish/Hungarian relations last year and just one
book about Germany (History of German Culture), so as an average Pole I know ten times
more about Hungary than I do about Germany. True - my German is slightly better than
my Hungarian, but that's because of the germanization that was forced upon me at school.

Also, there are many more Polish-Hungarian friendship association than Polish-German
ones (for obvious reasons) and the feeling of kinship and liking towards Hungarians in
Polish society is enormous.

True - Germany is our most important economic and political partner in recent years,
but German society in general doesn't think of Poland and Poles as of equal partners,
which makes it impossible to have truly good and close relations. It changes for the
better, but still there's much to be done.

Torq,

Lets cut to it shall we? What about the women? The beauty of the Hungarian women? :')

Polki are superior in my opinion.Hungarian are more aggressively decorated.

I disagree. Polki v Wegerki = tough call :)

Yes while the country has Presidency, they do not vote on issues, as they are the chair. So it is protocol that the next country to hold presidency, vote on their behalf.

It is definitely changing, but very slowly. I'm in the process of trying to write a book about the very subject (focusing on the borderland) - and all the research so far points at Germans mostly ignoring Poland.

My suspicion right now is that the two will never be equal partners as long as they're not economically close.

They probably feel closest to the Lithuanians.

are dull!

...we so suck at germanizations! :(


It's a two-sided sword Torq, I don't remember any thread like

"Who do you hate more, the xxxx or the Hungarians?"

The reason why Hungary or any other non-neighbour of Poland is more popular than Germany or any other neighbour is that they are in a "safe distance" and had never posed or pose a threat. Even if they had been active allies of Germany in two world wars...

It's as easy as that!

But as with Germany and France it's the direct neighbours who are most important and where a better relationship, a reconciliation is needed for the own well being.

Friendship with Hungary is nice and recommendable but they don't play a role in Polands well being, neither economically nor militarily!

Hungarians definitely! When Americans hear Transylvania, they think Dracula (as in Bela Lugosi and later remakes). When a Pole (at least a mildly educated one) hears Siedmiogród, he thinks Batory.

BTW, never ask a Slovak why he loves the Hungarians!!!

I was just too stubborn, but you managed to convert some of my friends ;)


Well, we did have a common border with Hungary on several occasions, but you are right
that it's easier to be friends when you don't share a border and your zones of influence
don't overlap.


That's why there is so much being done from Polish and German side, so the mutual relations
are as good as possible. Being an avid reader of "Dialog" and "Region", I can safely say that
we are on the best way to reconcilliation with Germany.

Our relations with Hungary is something different - it's more about hearts, souls and history,
a feeling of kinship and liking, quite unique among nations of the world.