The story about German- Polish reconciliation

I forgot a lot but if I had to, for WW3 needs, recalling it would be easy. :):):):):)

PS. I learnt German since 6 to 22. Private lessons at home in primary and high school, classes in primary school, classes at the university. :):):):):)

Very useful information. However, modern English is very different from the 5th century English that you illustrate. It has evolved so much! Sorry, to point out the obvious but that is how you present your case.

Do not underestimate the impact of the other major influences on the English language such as Danish, French, Italian and Greek.

eupedia.com/europe/european_y-dna_haplogroups.shtml

DNA relates to the ethnicity of a race, not the language. But I support you in what you are saying:

Not to forget Latin.

Absolutely! I meant to write Latin that but somehow wrote Italian. Doh!

What a sad reason to learn German. Did you learn phrases like these ones:

You should have told her that Central Europe would be the main theatre of WW3, and after WW3 no one would speak German, Polish, Dutch, Czech or Danish anymore.

Very important remark.

I remember when I went to the US for the first time with my parents in 1980, we seriously discussed beforehand that WWIII could break out and we would have had to stay with our American relatives in that case.

In our village we had a siren that was tested twice a year with different alarm signals for nuclear assault, assault with chemical or biological weapons, invasion of Soviet and East German ground forces and conventional airstrike. All bridges had attachments for bursters.

I remember one night I woke up because our house was shaking because hundreds of American tanks dashed through our village. The next day we found our neighbour's squished cat on the street. For more than one time I almost shitted my pants because strafers with an altitude of not more than 250 meters were flying over our playground. They were so fast you couldn't see them, only hear their incredibly loud noise.

As Central Europeans we can be more than happy those times are over!

Recocnilation must happen. Nations of Europ, world cannot live in war forever. Their must be peace also. Peace brings development for countres, was brings destroyment only.

That was the reality of 1970s and 80s.


Schneller oder wir schiessen!.

No, silly, I didn`t learn such phrases. I learnt from very serious books which were designed for students much older than me. I hated them because they were so boring, about things of zero interest to me. East German publications were available in Poland and my German tutor used them. I remember one - about some stupid revolutionists in early 20 century Mexico and their adventures.

Today, when coming back from our last holiday trip, I stopped at a filling station and while paying for gas, I read the headline from the counter newspaper. The German Federation of Expellees has agreed to the leading motive of Museum of Expellees in Berlin: If Nazi Germans hadn`t comitted crimes during WW2, there wouldn`t have been expulsions of German civilians from Eastern Europe.

Quite positive change.

I am a German citizen. I got a shiver when I saw the movie clip from Willi Brandt kneeing on the Memorial. I was kneeing in my mind with him.

I think that Poland can be very proud about its past. They never gave up and did not accept any deal with the Nazis. Polish people are friendly, they have a good sense of humor and the most of them are well educated.

I would be happy if they call us Germans in the future brothers, because times are changing. The only problem that I can see are the stubborn Neo-Nazis in the East of Germany. They are disgusting.

One thing is sure, Germans will not start a war anymore. Even not with a war monger like J. Gauck, German president.

The other problem is Kaczynski and his "patriotic" xenophobes. They too are disgusting.

An awful bunch. That tendency in Polish politics has always looked East rather than towards Germany and the approach from that political tendency in general and the Kaczynskis in particular was always hostile and hysterical - basically out of their depth with Polish-German relations as with so much else.

Relations though are still good; the Germans do have a lot of patience and people like Tusk, the late Geremek etc have done a lot to build up bridges between the two countries.

I like President Reverend Gauck though. His powers are very limited and I certainly wouldn't call him a warmonger.

I agree with most of your post, but why do you think President Gauck is a war monger? Please specify!

Franky I been to germany over a dozen times mostly on business but I always sneak a holiday in there too, even just a week. I hope too we will become brothers like I have bece with my german friends, I like germany. Fark the nazis.

Same with us, Poles. However, time is needed for a true reconciliation. There was too much conspiracy against Poland by Frederic the Great in the 18th century, not even mentioning Hitler and his nazi clique.


J. Gauck, a warmonger or not, the real warmongers on this site are the British Dougpol1 and jon357. Please notice that at the slightest hint of yours about the Neo-Nazis in East Germany, they jumped at once on Kaczyński and his "xenophobes". This is real warmongering and something which is disgusting!

So Kaczynski doesn't stir the fires of distrust then? We all remember well the twins' undiplomatic language about war reparations and the rest - 70 years after the event,

Remind us all again, because my memory must be slipping. Where were your heroes during Martial Law?

Your posts are always nationalistic and offensive to the huge majority of Poles west of Radom, who all want to live together with no borders, imaginary or otherwise, to the west.

Kaczynski would bring those borders back if he were able, wouldn't you agree?

It appears to me at any rate that Mmes. Merkel and Kopacz are aiming at some sort of rapprochement:-) That's how it reads in the papers I've been reading these days, both German and American.

President Gauck said at the international security conference (which was in reality a meeting of all big weapons producers of Germany), it Weapons Fair, that he wish that Germany become more involved in international conflicts and that 65 years are enough to look away from conflicts. That was his words.

I do not think that he is a real war monger, but he is a slimy person who crawl in the ass of the lobby, industry, weapons industry and banks. He was calling demonstrators against the EZB idiots and said that he can not understand why they go on the streets. If this people would have not gone on the streets then he would be not a collateral damage of the reunification.

Gauck is very much disliked in Germany. He is just Blabla and nothing what he say is honest.

But you Polish people and we German people have the same problem. Idiots as leaders who sell their soul to the lobby.

Again to the brother question:
For me a Polish people always the nice and smart neighbours and I would be very honored to be called their brother!

The problem with Germany is that it is too powerful to be something like a big Switzerland or Austria. I detest war like you but it would be rather naive to think the rest of the world will leave Europe or Germany in silence if they noticed we are not able and ready to defend ourselves.

Unfortunately the present situation appears to me that Germany is too powerful for Europe that it just fits into the line with other European nations, and simultaneously it is too small to dominate the European continent. Besides Germany is not able to be the European hegemon because not enough time has elapsed since the Nazi terror. You saw it in Greece and in Portugal. When the going gets tough and Germany has to take tough decisions everybody will see the Nazis or at least the revenants of Kaiser Wilhelm in us. And last but not least our politicians are not able to play the role of a hegemon, just like American politicans can. They just learned to hide behind the strong back of the USA.

Franky's right on the money about Herr Gauck! He's even more disliked by the far right than Mr. WeizsaeckerLOL

And very good and forward-looking words they were too. Kaczynski and his nationalists could follow the German model and be a little more humble themselves.

The years pass. Germany has apologised again and again. Slavs (Russians et al) don't understand the meaning of the word and never apologise)

Obviously what Gauck means is that if there were another Balkans conflict then Germany must not sit on the fence and must contribute properly to an international peacekeeping force - something they declined to do in 1993/4.

You forgot to mention the Gauck's function is only a representative one. Unlike the Reichspraesident, the president of modern day Germany has no power - something that was implemented by the allies after WW2 to prevent another Hitler style power grab. So whatever Gauck says ... who actually listens to that guy?

There is absolutely no way that you are German, at least in my opinion. And if you are German, then you are a very narrow-minded German. Why? Because if you had any clue about Eastern Germany and it's relation to it's next door neighbours you wouldn't have used "Polish brothers" and "East German Nazis" in one sentence. Just for you to understand .......... there are now cities and villages that grow together as one on both sides on the border and are happy to do so. There are festivals either close to the border or on the borderline which are attended by the local youth of both countries. Silesian towns are using German names on their name plates when driving into them just as East German towns still use the German / Sorbs signs at railway stations and names signs of towns and cities.


Only an idiot would call him that, someone who does not know what the powers of the German president really are. A German certainly wouldn't call him that knowing that he has literally no influence whatsoever.


You may talk about the past while others look to the future. Polish / German relations are at a high. Germany has recognized Poland as one of the most valuable members of the EU on numerous occasions and will continue to do so. Germans are highly appreciated in Poland and have been since I first visited Poland by myself (without my parents) in the late 1990's. If you wish, continue to talk about "time needed" and "nazi cliques" but don't be surprised when some day you wake up in reality.


Exactly! That is why I find it hard to believe that above posters are German. Everyone knows that the German president is a 250k a year job to shine, smile but have nothing to say job.

True! But it doesn't change the fact that last week a bunch of neo-nazis attacked red cross aid-workers with stones that try to help refugees from 3rd world countries. One young woman was seriously injured. What a disgrace!

I know the majority of East Germans is disgusted too by pictures like this. But I would not say there is a smashing peace, love and harmony attitude regarding the East German relationship with foreigners.

Much has improved at the German-Polish border, and the concept of trying to re-unite the divided cities Kostrzyn/Küstrin-Kiez, Frankfurt-Oder/Słubice, Guben/Gubin and Görlitz/Zgorzelec by trying to make them true bi-national cities with is worthy of all support. Nevertheless the German-Polish border - at least on the German side - is threatened to become a wasteland! All cities there have lost more than 25% of their population since 1990.

And.... maybe because there are no stupid jobs for the armies etc and other hatred. In time everything will equalize. as physical laws dictate. The German side of Gorlitz for example is beautiful, while the Polish side of the river is a ********. In time, it will be one metropolitan bi- ethic city.

Any problems with that?

@Jolly,

At the risk of appearing to be the hair-splitting lawyer, FrankyBkk said merely that he is a German "citizen", not a German national by birth. Therefore, perhaps indeed he's originally from elsewhere but moved to Germany long ago:-)

Not that you would ever understand anyway ........

Meaning what?

I am born in Munich, I am a real German, but i live since more then 30 years in Bangkok, working there for a international police organization as computer programmer.

I have to be more specific. I mean with East German NeoNazis the young skinheads who hunt foreigners in the nights an the streets of east Germany. Unfortunately they do not undersatand that not the foreigners are their problems, but the German government which promised a lot and did not keep any promise, as it is in all countries so.

A politician is a street ***** without selling pussy. I respect street *****s more as this evil people. Because the rent their bodies to people who need them, they give the service that they promise (in most cases) and after it, they go under shower and they are clean again!

The other ***** (politician) is selling his soul to the lobby, he go over dead bodies, he does not care if people suffer, he is lying and deceiving, shortly said, the exact description of evil. He may look cleaner because the white shirt, but in this white shirt is a black heart, it is so black that even a black hole can not compete.

JollyRomek:
I do not discuss with people of your level. A person who calls me "very narrow-minded" and is it himself does not deserve my attention. I look forward, but that does not mean that we forget what happened. And I still like the Polish people and to be brothers or enemies is a question of time. Grow up before you come to wrong conclusions and use a little more brain. Because it is possible that parts of a population troublemakers , but that does not hinder the other part to become brothers.

If you become normal in the discussion I am very welcome you to discuss with me, but not in this way. You made this chat sore, you injected poison in it. Is this your hate? I hope not ...

This is the key to it. I'd add (and perhaps this is what Pastor Gauck was thinking) is that Germany has a moral duty to take part in international military actions. After all, Germany benefits very strongly from the stability and economic opportunities when there is peace. And of course is as vulnerable as any other large economy to the effects of oil and other commodity prices as well as the downturn in exports and the currency swings when there is not.