Life / What makes a man a Pole? what does it mean to be a Pole? [187]

Don't put words in my mouth, Paulina...

Poland was occupied = Polish version of history
Poland was annexed = History version of the rest of the world

You won't change that.


Much like Poland expected from her minorities after WW1... ;)

Mass was usually held in Latin, by the way, and most ethnic Germans were protestants, not catholics.

Life / What makes a man a Pole? what does it mean to be a Pole? [187]

Just a few additional remarks, because we are slowly drifting off topic:


Mandatory school was introduced in Prussia in 1717, so long before the partitions. Ethnic Poles were given the same educational "treatment" as their ethnic German counterparts; especially in the 19th and 20th century.


The Preussische Ansiedlungskommission was founded in 1886. That's almost a hundred years after Polish territory became Prussian. Bismarck's Kulturkampf only lasted 12 years. That's a fraction of the time that Poles lived under Prussian rule.


I'm sure that Poles would live like the Sorbs in Eastern Germany. Keeping their language and culture.


It's the world's version of history vs. the Polish... :)

Life / What makes a man a Pole? what does it mean to be a Pole? [187]


Actually, I do. I've researched a lot of my family history and had the opportunity to interview some of my great grandparents about life in Prussia before WW1. They were ethnic Poles on one side and ethnic Germans on the other, and they grew up in the then province of West Prussia. What they all had in common was the memory of a peaceful rural life where Germans and Poles were separated along religious lines and traditions, but got along well otherwise. Nothing about Polish patriotism, brutal oppression, forced germanization or similar stuff - just the simple life of farmers. Don't know about the situation in the cities, but in the countryside good relations between neighbors - no matter which ethnicity - was the norm, not the exception. Even between the wars.

Life / What makes a man a Pole? what does it mean to be a Pole? [187]


Oh, there is. Just one simple example: the so-called "regained territories". A purely Polish propaganda term that no one in his right mind and outside of Poland would ever use.


Can you prove that? I believe that the majority of ethnic Poles had arranged themselves with their new Prussian and Austrian rulers after more than a century and moved on with their life. BTW: do you know what percentage of the ethnic Polish population actually took part in one of the uprisings and what social background they had (e.g., nobles, city dwellers, peasants)? Are there any sources?

Life / What makes a man a Pole? what does it mean to be a Pole? [187]

The Polish version of history is always correct?

Life / What makes a man a Pole? what does it mean to be a Pole? [187]


Poland was annexed and subsequently wiped off the maps, that's a historical fact. The picture of an oppressed people suffering under a cruel Prussian occupation is (commie) propaganda, and you know that.

Life / What makes a man a Pole? what does it mean to be a Pole? [187]

Poor oppressed Poles enjoying freedom and prosperity in Austria and Prussia/Germany? That must be a quote from the wrong history book... ;)

Polonia / I'm going to study in Germany (speaking English / money transfers) [24]

You've met a handful of Germans with a questionable command of English, that's all. My experience in Germany was completely different. Let's not make the mistake to generalize, that's all I'm saying, and don't look down on foreigners who are not 100% fluent in English. They are still much better than many (if not most) Anglos who are simply unwilling or too lazy to learn another language.

Polonia / I'm going to study in Germany (speaking English / money transfers) [24]


Yeah, 'arrogance' might be the wrong word. Let's call it laziness instead.

Polonia / I'm going to study in Germany (speaking English / money transfers) [24]

Many expats don't bother because they only hang out in their own little expat circles and expect the locals to speak English instead. That's what I call arrogance. Even more so if you think about the fact that most Europeans speak at least one foreign language; often times two or three. No Pole, French or German would automatically expect anyone to speak their language while traveling outside their own countries. Only Anglos do that. Yes, English is the lingua franca at the moment, but that doesn't mean that you can sit on your high horse and proclaim that a foreigner is not worth communicating with you in English because (s)he is not on a native level, like Wlodzimierz has done several times already.

Polonia / I'm going to study in Germany (speaking English / money transfers) [24]

What makes you think that foreigners have to be on the level of a native speaker when they communicate with you English? The Anglos are the ones who are too lazy and arrogant to learn a second language, not the others.


Maybe your German wasn't up to par... ;)

Life / The Polish work ethic - or the lack of it [23]

More is not always better. If nations can manufacture the same output with less hours, then the productivity is much higher than in other countries. Germany puts significant less hours in than the UK for example, but they outcompete the Brits in many fields.

Life / Temperament of Poles - my observations [23]


With regard to history related topics, I would say this is mostly true, too. You cannot discuss Poland's past with Polish people, especially when someone else's version differs from theirs or their country is criticized in any way. Need proof? Just look at PF...

Or is it patriotism? ;)

Food / The first cheese was made in Poland? [8]


Quote:
"He noticed that archaeologists working at ancient cattle-rearing sites in what is now Poland..."

You want to claim that the Neanderthals were Polish, too? ;)

Life / The Poland of Yore [4]

And you will probably never find out because the OP has left the building ... :)

History / If Poles were antisemitic, would they ...? [240]

No wonder. Half of modern day Poland had been Prussian, German or Austrian for a very long time.

Genealogy / Pietras from Opole, Poland. Help with information on Great Grandfather. [6]


I only checked the LDS database quickly, and many Pietras listed there came from Germany. That's why I assumed Oppeln. But you're right, could as well be the other Opole. Thanks for pointing that out.

For the OP:
If you know the SSN of your ancestor (if he had one), you could try to find him in the Social Security Death Index and see where the SSN was originally issued. Then you could try to find his naturalization record in one of the courts nearby.

Genealogy / Pietras from Opole, Poland. Help with information on Great Grandfather. [6]


You mean 'born 1895 in Oppeln, Deutsches Reich'...

Try to find the Civil Registration records for that year. If they survived the war, all the information you'll need is in there.

History / If Poles were antisemitic, would they ...? [240]


Are you kidding? What about the Kingdom of Prussia until 1870?

History / If Poles were antisemitic, would they ...? [240]

To follow your logic: why wasn't the museum built much earlier (e.g., right after WW2) then?

History / If Poles were antisemitic, would they ...? [240]

I chose Finland because the architects of the Warsaw museum are Finnish, but please feel free to replace Finnish with Ugandan... :)

Study / Which language to learn in my university course? Polish Or German? [35]


Non-existent, I'm afraid.

History / If Poles were antisemitic, would they ...? [240]


Well, there is no Museum of Finnish Jews in Finland. That must be proof that the Finnish people are antisemitic... ;)

Study / Which language to learn in my university course? Polish Or German? [35]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strine

I was born there...

Study / Which language to learn in my university course? Polish Or German? [35]


Does Strine count as non-native? :)

Study / Which language to learn in my university course? Polish Or German? [35]


Well, it was you who indicated that everybody else is too stupid to communicate with you in English...

Study / Which language to learn in my university course? Polish Or German? [35]


Often? This is ALWAYS a mistake because it reeks of arrogance towards other cultures. Wonder what happens when Hispanics and Latinos will be in the majority in this country.


That one was actually meant for you, as you seem to be overly confident when it comes to your language skills... ;)


I'm astonished, because almost all Dutch, Germans, Swiss and Scandinavians I have met in my life spoke excellent English. Often, their grammar was way better than that of native speakers.

Study / Which language to learn in my university course? Polish Or German? [35]


Please remind us how many languages native English speakers have usually mastered besides their own...


And its 'Binsenweisheit', not Binsenwahrheit... :)

News / Nationalist-socialists gaining ground in Poland [24]


Provided that it is accurate, the article is just one more indication that all these rosy news about the booming Polish economy are nothing but hot air. The wave of emigrants that left Poland plus massive EU subsidies only eased and covered up the problems on the labor market. Bad news, but kind of expected. Hopefully, Poland won't be following in Spain's footsteps.

Polonia / Any Poles who have lived and worked in Germany recently? [18]


Not for employment, but for admission to many German universities: goethe.de/lrn/prj/pba/bes/gc1/enindex.htm

Quote:
"At many German universities and further-education institutions, foreign applicants with a Goethe-Zertifikat C1 are exempted from the language entrance test."

deutsch-als-fremdsprache.org/en/faq/323-what-does-lang uage-level-a1-a2-b1-b2-c1-and-c2-mean.html