Travel / Just visited Poland - here is my random rant [154]


Give me a break! You are talking about the cultural heritage of the country. Do you know how cities without these buildings, but with "something modern and efficient" look? Look at the cities built after WW2, both in Western and Eastern Europe. Or the crap that was built since the 1990s. No "average tourist" wants to see this, and no one with a choice wants to live there. Strangely, if people have a choice, they always want to live in historical buildings (if upgraded to modern standards).

But I agree that especially the smaller towns often look horrible. There are several reasons for this:

1) Neither the people nor the communities in the smaller towns have money.

2) No organization and controls. The cultural heritage management in Poland is a mess. The monument protection service is underfunded, has no influence in public policy and cares mostly about churches, and not much else. And the communities don't have basic rules like land utilisation plans or building regulations. Everyone can do whatever he likes.

3) Poles don't have a sense for architecture. For many centuries Poland was a land of a small urban middle class and a big rural lower class, unlike countries like Italy or Germany, which had a big urban middle class already during the Renaissance era. Urban development has a much bigger importance in such societies, that's why they developed the regulations and sensitivity Poland lacks. Just have a look at this thread: skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=967926&page=356

Turrets, battlements, huge portal on tiny buildings, defense walls, ugly colors etc.. The only place where I've seen similar tacky buildings was in Romania, built by Gypsy barons.

4) No emotional connections to the cultural heritage in the so called "recovered territories".

Travel / Live cameras over Poland [21]


This was weak... ;)
Let me try it: this is the Western side of the Rynek, in German times called the "Sieben-Kurfuersten-Seite" (seven electors side). This part of the square was named after the yellow house on the left side, a Gothic building with a Baroque facade. The facade shows the seven electors of the Holy Roman Empire and the (Austrian) emperor. This side of the square survived WW2 without major damages. After Breslau became Polish the Commies destroyed the facade to get rid of all German traces. After 1990 the facade was reconstructed. The modern building to the left was built in 1930 and was typical for the time, when several architects of the Bauhaus school planned to rebuilt the entire square. Behind the building is the so called salt market, in German times also called Polish market, because Polish traders sold the salt from Wieliczka there. The place was later renamed to "Bluecher Platz" after a big statue of the Prussian general by Christian Daniel Rauch. This very valuable statue was also destroyed by the Commies.

Life / Our Mothers, Our Fathers on Polish TV? [19]

In a political correct world the German protagonists would have been either Nazis or passive, and the episodes in WW2 would have shown mass killings, war crimes, death and horror everywhere, traumatized soldiers etc.. A political correct movie also would have shown the expulsions from Eastern Germany or the mass rapes by the Red Army. Everything on Sunday prime time, where usually cheesy love stories between rich, beautiful people in romantic Ireland are shown. You expect a bit too much from a TV movie and from a producer who made gems like "Dresden", a TV movie about the love between a German nurse and a British(!) bomber pilot(!!) when the city gets leveled in the background.

And how self-critical are Polish TV productions btw.? How are the Jewish Poles in the Polish society depicted? Ever seen a movie about the systematic destruction of the German culture in the "Ziemie Odzyskane"?

Life / Our Mothers, Our Fathers on Polish TV? [19]


No lies, but two bigger distortions. The German protagonists are mostly passive bystanders, although in reality especially the youth who grew in the 30s was quite the opposite. And in the episodes with the Armia Krajowa their members are shown as anti-Semitic, while in reality this was most probably only a minority and not representative.

News / Shops in Poland to be closed on Sunday? [208]


Not "religious zealots" are the reason for this but trade unions, social democrats and even politicians like Bismarck, who reintroduced this day as a "day of rest", after Early Capitalism in the early 19th century forced people to work every day.

And almost everyone in Central Europe likes the idea that at least one day of the week is not devoted to brainless consumerism and the exploitation of labour.

Work / CAN SOMEONE GET WEB / GRAPHIC DESIGN JOB IN POLAND? [12]


I'm not based in Poland, but this doesn't sound very demanding. I mean, as far as I remember you don't even need good HTML and CSS skills for it, as Fireworks does this job for you. And even without Fireworks it isn't a big deal. I would definitely pay less than 1.000 Euro for such a simple job.

Law / Bank accounts taxed by up to 10%. Can it happen in Poland? [150]


No, it was the reckless behavious of the Cypriot banks who didn't get out of Greece in the months before the Greek bail-out. They even bought *more* Greek shares during the Greek crisis, which allowed them to offer 4-5% interests on deposits, while in the rest of Europe you were lucky to get 1,5%!

And th Greek money was gone anyway, since Greece is broke.


That's not unique, that always happens when a bank goes bankrupt. And the 100.000€ would be gone too, since Cyprus, like the banks, is broke too. It's the *generousness* of the international community that saves most of this money.

Law / Bank accounts taxed by up to 10%. Can it happen in Poland? [150]

Luxembourg is neither broke nor does it ask for money. And surely would the ECB act differently in this case, since the banks of Luxembourg are system-relevant, whereas the banks of Cyprus aren't. But you can be sure that countries like Germany or the Netherlands or France would love to treat them just like Cyprus. Ever noticed how German ministers bash the Swiss all the time?

But not the EU de-industrializes Southern Europe, they do it on their own. Cyprus for instance was never industrialized. They turned their country into an offshore tax haven, which isn't the same. And instead of investing the return wisely, like diversifying their economy, they expanded their public sector. And Greece? They received more Marshall funds per capita than many other countries in Europe, and they are one of the main recipients of EU structural subsidies, and yet apart from shipbuilding (in the past) they aren't competitive anywhere... not even agribusiness, despite the climate and endless subsidies since the 70s.

And of course Northern Europeans will pay the 10 billions. They are the net contributors in Europe. But you can't expect that Northern European taxes save a business model that wants to hurt these economies. That's especially hard to stomach for Protestants, who cherish frugality and hard work.

History / For what the Germans owe Poland one trillion U.S. dollars? [299]

The eastern territories weren't annexed by Germany but Russia. It's silly to argue that a third party (Germany) should compensate the victim (Poland) of someones crime (Russia).

History / For what the Germans owe Poland one trillion U.S. dollars? [299]


Your compensation: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Former_eastern_territories_of_Germany

History / For what the Germans owe Poland one trillion U.S. dollars? [299]

Why doesn't this calculation assess the value of the former German territories that became Polish after WW2?

114.267 km² of land
the entire property of 9,6 mio Germans
infrastructure
cultural assets
natural ressources

I wonder for instance if Poland really wants to estimate the property of 9 mio people (houses, appartments, garden, furnishings, clothes etc.) in todays prices... this could get ugly.

History / Poles from South West Poland speak in German dialect? [9]

There was no continuity since the population was almost completely exchanged. I can't find the numbers for Lower Silesia, but in 1949 there were 2769 so called "autochthons" in Wroclaw, i.e. Poles who lived in the city before WW2. 774 spoke almost no Polish, 966 reasonable and 1029 were fluent. And according to several contemporary reports they were outsiders in the new community. A German influenced dialect simply couldn't develop under these circumstances.

History / Poland's Tragic History [12]

Isn't any suffering unique?

USA, Canada / My wife wants to return to Poland...but I want to stay in the US [155]


Sorry, but I think this is often a big part of the problem and downright ignorant. The USA is the best country for US-Americans, but not for your foreign wife. And she surely doesn't have to be thankful! The best country for a Polish woman is Poland, and the best country for my Russian wife is Russia. You guys have to understand that your wife gave up everything to live with YOU, but her better economic situation in the USA can't replace what she gave up for you (family and friends, language and culture). In her new life she basically turned from adult to child, not being able to deal with the most basic things. It's no wonder that a woman that has to stay at home in a foreign country all the time wants to go back home!

I can tell you what I did. The first thing I made sure is that she isn't dependent on me. She learned the language and got a job, which gave her her own money and her own social circle. I told her she could redesign my house to make it ours, not mine. Whenever possible I show her my country (almost every weekend) and why I like it, and I always try to find connections to Russia, and now she likes it here quite a lot. She avoids the Russian diaspora because this would again isolate her from the majority society. We celebrate the holidays of both countries, like Western and Russian Christmas. Her family visits her at least once a year, and we visit Russia also at least once a year. But despite all this I know that my country will never be like Russia, and I'm so incredibly thankful that she gave up everything for me. And as long as you don't feel the same about your wife it will not work. It's as simple as that.

History / MICROCOSM: Portrait of a Central European City (history of Wrocław) [9]


If you think Breslau was somehow Polish you should read the book again. First of all, it was written on behalf of the town council, which, in the 90s, was looking for new ways to come to terms with the past of the city. During Commie times Breslau was always Polish, only Germanized by the Prussians in the 18th and 19th century. This theory was so stupid that everyone with a little bit of knowledge and open eyes knew it was propaganda. The new perspective was the multicultural city, a view in which the population exchange after 1945 becomes just the last episode in a long list of ethnic changes.... in fact, this view creates a continuity. To propagate this view the multicultural aspects get overemphasized, and Davies' Microcosm is a prime example here. In each chapter many pages are about the ethnic composition of the city, even if there is not much to report. After ~1500 he can hardly find autochthon Poles anymore in the city, and tries to hide this fact by mentioning the few he can find (like these two obscure priests on the outskirts of the city, or this one Polish teacher in a tiny school). Several times he's also dependent on hearsay and doesn't check if these sources are true or not. Not scientific at all.

As a book for people who still believe in the old Commie propaganda it's OK, as a scientific work it's not even mediocre. If you want to read a good book get Encyklopedia Wroclawia.

History / What do nations of the world owe to Poland and Polish people? [58]


And Kant, philosopher and genius of the enlightenment, was born in Kaliningrad. Thanks Kaliningrad, thanks Russia!

History / Was Prussia mostly German? [65]


True. This is a place for Polish victimhood and xenophobia only...! :D

News / Piłsudski tomb desecrated in Wilno [34]

I love the self-righteousness in this thread. Such things happen in Poland all the time. How about this:







It's the desecrated mausoleum of the German Ziegler family in Radomierzyce, from the 18th century. Burial fault destroyed, sarcophagi opened, corpses defiled. Just one of many examples I know. No one cares.

History / Czech and Polish character in World War two [81]

Czechoslovakia never had a chance since the Czechs tried to pay it back to the Germans after 1918 (and the Germans never accepted the new state). Sure, Czechoslovakia was a democratic state, but the country never became a second Switzerland. Just one example: the glass industry around Gablonz/Jablonec nad Nisou was world market leader and firmly in den hands of the Sudete Germans in the 1920s. What did the Czechoslovak government? They established a second centre in the Czech heartland to weaken their own, German- owned companies!

This state was an accident waiting to happen...

History / Czech and Polish character in World War two [81]


It depends on the region. In the Lusatian Mountains (the other side of Zittau), in the Jizera mountains and Krkonosze (Giant Mountains) many houses are quite cute and not too big, and the mountains are pretty nice too, so most houses were turned into weekend homes. I know villages with 16 permanent residents during week and 400 on weekends.

History / Czech and Polish character in World War two [81]

Czechs are not cowardly at all. Compared to most other countries they suffered very little, and as compensation ~5 mio Czechs received the entire property of ~3,2 mio Germans. Which means a nice chata in the mountains for almost every family.

USA, Canada / My story. Born In the USA - do I have a chance in Poland, my Mother Country? [69]

In Europe, where it's much easier to migrate to another country and migrating to countries outside of Europe is also much more common, more than 80% of the people return because it somehow didn't work out. A country that does look great on holiday, on pictures or in stories told by parents is often much different when you have to deal with authorities, when you get sick or old, you don't find a good job etc..

Migrating to Poland because your parents where born there and you don't like parts of the USA sounds nuts to me. Before turning your life upside down (at your age!) at least spend some time there (not just 2 weeks on holiday). You complain about the backwardness of the Midwest. Sorry to say this, but most of Poland is rural and deeply catholic... you will find the same people there.

History / The story about German- Polish reconciliation [194]


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.

News / Nude females in Legnica centrum [5]

This thread needs more pics...! :D

History / Interactive map of Poland 960-2004 [43]

"Recovered territories" is a propaganda term of the Polish Commies to describe the former German territories, which belonged to Poland for some time in the Middle Ages.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recovered_territories

Life / Poland needs more immigrants and their children - which nationalities are the best? [518]

I love it how Polish Americans care for the racial purity of Polska... :D

News / What Poland can't do right [113]


Yes, either columns or turrets. Or both.

News / What Poland can't do right [113]

Where Poland fails big time is urban planning. What was built there in the last 20, or even 60 years is often mediocre at best. The Commies had awful Commie blocks, and in the last 20 years it looks like there are no rules at all anymore. People with bad taste but much money build absolutely tasteless crap and it looks like no one cares.

News / Why are Czechs more effective than Poles and Poland? [116]

The Czechs were part of Mitteleuropa for almost 1000 years. These connections didn't get lost in 60 years Nazism and Communism. They were the most industrialized country of the KuK empire, and after 1989 there were huge investments by German and Austrian companies again who appreciated the cheap workforce and the fact that administration, laws, rules, business conduct etc. are very much like they know it from home.

Got to the border triangle GER/PL/CZ and you understand the differences between Poles and Czechs... and the similarities between Czechs and Germans.

Life / Is it McPoland? [63]

In many places of Europe McDonalds simply satisfies a demand which the local cuisine doesn't. France for instance has a great cuisine, but their takeaway food sucks. All they have are Baguettes with different fillings like cheese or ham. That's not very convincing, and thus France is the second-biggest market for McDonalds (quite funny if you think about it). Germany on the other hand has traditional as well as imported takeaway food (Bratwurst and Döner Kebab), and thus McDonalds only comes third.

Who knows, maybe McDonalds will lose to Döner Kebab in Poland too?