UK, Ireland / Living in a Polish/Gypsy community in Poland. People don't like me there. [25]

Actually I have heard of poradnia not sending kids with certain issues to szkoła specjalna due to too high IQ so that kind of surprises me.

UK, Ireland / Living in a Polish/Gypsy community in Poland. People don't like me there. [25]

I have never met a Polish Gypsy who can't speak Polish. Have you?
They speak their own language when they're around their own people but they speak Polish to Poles. They're bilingual.
And since there's obowiązek szkolny, there's no way their kids could avoid school so they attend Polish schools -regular state schools, not schools for kids with special needs. Even kids with minor disabilities attend regular schools so why would they put Gypsy kids in special schools unless that's necessary.

Life / Poland safe for a Greek? [93]

The Catholics will also be happy to hear that their ancestors were false, cowardly and evil.
And the guy asks about Polish prejudice ...
Dear Op,
You will be fine as long as you avoid trouble makers and don't get into trouble yourself.

UK, Ireland / Living in a Polish/Gypsy community in Poland. People don't like me there. [25]

Oh, come on. Where I live there are mixed Polish-Gypsy couples and they seem well integrated. There's one couple I see quite often as they walk their daughter to school. Together. The woman wears normal clothes like jeans and the guy doesn't seem to be bothered to be seen hand in hand with his wife and child.

Law / New law for foreigners : No longer any need to submit documents before expiration of Karta Pobytu? [15]

And you're the boss to who?
I haven't found the part of the directive that talks about being the boss?
What exactly don't you understand about the directive? What part?

Classifieds / Moving to Krakow from London - Can anyone help to move my stuff? [5]

There are some courier companies that deliver things from Britain to Poland. Look them up and contact them for more information and prices.

Genealogy / Searching for Winskowski genealogy [6]

According to moikrewni.pl (a site that gives an estimate number of people using a given surname living in a given country) there are more Winskowskis in Germany (122) than in Poland (14). One of them apparently works at university in Kraków. You may try contacting him but it's hard to say if he knows anything.

According to stankiewicze.pl the surname is derived from Wins/Winsch/Windsch meaning Slavic or Lusatian.
My guess (and it's just a guess) is that they were either ethnic Germans living in (partitioned) Poland or a family of mixed Polish-German origins perhaps Silesians.

Law / Illegal in UK but moved to Poland with Polish wife help for residence card [65]

I have a friend who married a non-EU citizen and I remember being told that the authorities would check on them like paying unexpected visits etc.

Law / Polish certificate exam level B1 and institution / few questions about the Polish language [39]

Even if the exam were to be taken in a language school, it would have to be a certified exam centre. Just like in case of Cambridge exams, the papers would be sent to the organiser of the exam.

If there are three exams a year, you can take it every four months, roughly speaking. It's frequent enough IMO.
And if It's for the citizenship, it has to be organised by a respectable institution.

Genealogy / Verleo? Looking for a location of old family member's town - it may no longer be part of Poland [6]

I'm sorry I can't see it without logging in.

Genealogy / Verleo? Looking for a location of old family member's town - it may no longer be part of Poland [6]

How about posting a pic of the handwriting?
I can't promise anything but someone may be able to decipher it. Although, the old handwriting might be tough.

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Honestly speaking, I have never done it so hard to say. There are car rentals there but their websites are in Polish. Try googling wypożyczalnia samochodów Zamość.

I don't want to sound discouraging again but do you think it's a good idea to drive a rented car in a foreign country. It may snow and you're not used to driving in such conditions. The roads may not be really good and other drivers kind of reckless ...

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Your final decision is up to you really. If these are the places you find interesting after your research, stick to them. Now check what exactly you want to see in all of them and decide how much time you want to spend in each of them.

You're going to spend some time travelling from one place to another. If you're going by train or coach you will have to stick to the time schedule. Whenever it's possible, I'd choose trains - PKP intercity, not regular trains. If you get on pendolino, the journey won't last long.

Genealogy / Verleo? Looking for a location of old family member's town - it may no longer be part of Poland [6]

There's no 'v' in the Polish alphabet so it can't be Polish. Is it possible that she was born in another country?
Is 'Verleo' typed or handwritten?

The only place that comes to my mind and sounds similar is Wejherowo but that's a town.

News / Road deaths increase in Poland [43]

Actually that happens more and more often. But you still need to be very careful especially if it's a two-lane road. It's happened to me twice that a driver stopped to let me cross and there was another car in the second lane whose driver didn't even notice the crossing, me or the other car stopping.

News / Road deaths increase in Poland [43]

@terri
It works both ways. Too many drivers don't slow down when approaching a zebra crossing.
Today in one of fb groups I read a post by a woman who hit a pedestrian at a crossing because the pedestrian had told her she shouldn't have stopped at the crossing and she wanted to scare her ...

Genealogy / Schneider from Lodz - a mystery! [11]

I'm happy to hear it.
Good luck ;)

Genealogy / Schneider from Lodz - a mystery! [11]

geneteka.genealodzy.pl/index.php?op=gt&lang=eng&w=05ld

Here's the English version. Look his parents and different years up, too.

You need to look for the number under akt (record). In Józef's case it's 30. When you click on SKAN it navigates you to a site with links to different scans ----> click on 028-033. It should navigate you to the scan of Józef's birth record. It's not the only his birth record but several others - his is in entry 30 but it's in Polish and in cursive. I can't decipher everything.

Genealogy / Schneider from Lodz - a mystery! [11]

I think they might be your family. Józef's birth record says Antoni was also a weaver - tkacz. The handwriting is really hard to decipher but you're really lucky. My family's vital records are not available there. And yours are! It seems they married in 1857, had a son also named Józef who died the following year. Your Józef was born in 1862.

Genealogy / Schneider from Lodz - a mystery! [11]

geneteka.genealodzy.pl/index.php?op=gt&lang=pol&bdm=B&w=05ld&rid=B&search_lastname=schneider&search_name=J%C3%B3zef&search_lastname2=&search_name2=&from_date=1862&to_date=1882

I have found a Józef Sznajder (Polish spelling) born in 1862, son of Antoni and Barbara (maiden name Michler). He was born in Pabianice, though. Not far from Łódź.

It's the first name on the list and there are online scans of the birth records available. Press SKAN on the right of the name. It won't open on my mobile but it should be under 028-033. His birth was recorded under number 30.

Language / Polish name - Andrew / hey-meek? [3]

It sounds like chemik-chemist or Heniek but that's short from Henryk-Henry.

Language / Learning Polish Book? Milo mi? [15]

wydawnictwo.us.edu.pl/node/6691

Perhaps that's the book.

Language / Why is Polish such an ugly language? [22]

m.demotywatory.pl/4409101/Ten-wiersz-autorstwa-Juliana-Tuwima-to-absolutny-majstersztyk-jezykowy

Tuwim proved Polish and French may sound the same and some claim French is the most beautiful language.
I tend to disagree but then again I really like the sound of Polish. I guess it's the 'R' ;)

Travel / Help with a travel plan to Poland [72]

Summer storms are quite common in Poland. Sometimes they get really bad.Last August there were even some fatal victims including scouts camping in the forest.

@renier8
I hope you're going to have a good time, although I'm still a bit concerned about the time of the year you chose. The weather may simply suck and ruin your stay. Check the forecast before you go. Prepare for the fact everything may change within a day and have both winter and waterproof clothes. You won't be able to do proper sightseeing in heavy rain.

History / WWII - who really was the first to help Poland? [900]

@Atch
The policy of appeasement would have been enough to change the course of the war. And it would have been quite likely with Edward as the king and Attlee as the PM.

And I'm writing about Edward VIII because I don't like it how hypocritical a certain poster is. He loves writing about Polish antisemitism but ignores any claim that the British may not be perfect. Honestly speaking, I'm quite surprised with your attitude, too. Controversial views on Jews, Africans etc of people from over a hundred years ago were ok because they were British? What about Germans of that time? Or Poles?

As for the views of people who contribute to this forum, there are in fact a lot of Poles who support right wing parties but hello ... I don't think Nigel Farage's supporters would choose a Polish forum. And whether you like it or not, there are more and more radical sentiments all over the world.

@Dirk
I don't share your views. There are things about the government that I don't like. Yeah, charge me with treason even though I live here and contribute to the budget unlike you.

History / WWII - who really was the first to help Poland? [900]

Never say never.
He was known for his controversial views on Jews, Africans and the disabled - rings a bell?

Genealogy / Wieczorek family from the Kropiwki area [5]

@gjene
Wieczorek is a very popular surname. And the villages you mention seem pretty small. It's hard to say if any Wieczoreks still live there. There might be some in neigbouring villages but it's hard to say if you're related. It was over a century ago with two world wars in the meantime.

You can try googling the surname + the name of one of the places you mention. It's Uhnin, I think. And Zaliszcze and Siedliszcze seem to be two separate places. All of the places you mention are in Lublin Voivodeship.

History / WWII - who really was the first to help Poland? [900]

@KFC junkie
It was more than mere embarrassment. Although he managed to embarrass Britain even decades later- see the footage of uncle Edward teaching the young queen to perform a Nazi salute.

The visit to Germany in '37 was disapproved by Britain and financed by Hitler. When France was invaded by Germany, he went to Lisbon and stayed at a banker's who was said to be pro-Nazi. He returned to Britain only after being threatened with court martial. He was sent to Bahamas to make sure he was far from the war theatre and Nazis.

You may just wonder what would have happened if it had been the king when the war broke out. The world might be a very different place today.

History / WWII - who really was the first to help Poland? [900]

@jon357
Sure ... giving a Nazi salute was part of the protocol, too.
His opinions about Jews were interesting ...
It's cool to see how someone who jumps at every occassion to accuse Poles of antisemitism ignores an ex-king's Nazi views.

The UK had to keep an eye on Edward during the war.

News / Arrests made in Poland for Hitler birthday celebrations [35]

@Lyzko
If you think I have been agreeing with you, my English must be terrible.
Telling people to chill usually annoys them so you're trolling or your social skills suck.
As far as I know neo-nazis don't need to visit his birthplace to celebrate his birthday or support his views.