History / Russians 'tortured to death' in Polish camps? [58]


German soldiers in Russia are mostly burried in graves built after the fall of the Soviet Union.
But this doesn't matter. Respecting the dead is one of the core values of our societies. If we don't respect this value we don't respect ourselves. And no one expects huge monuments, but a humble plague commemorating the death is hardly to much to ask.


And you think other soldiers in other countries didn't rape, murder and burned down towns? And they didn't want to destroy other countries?

Sorry to tell you this, but forgiveness is a major virtue of the Christian faith. Without forgiveness the EU wouldn't exist. The founding nations back then replaced nationalistic affects with reason.




So did the French and the Germans. Brûlez le Palatinat! Jeder Stos ein Franzos. 1.000.000 dead in just one battle. Leveled towns in France and Belgium. And this was not more horrible?

History / Russians 'tortured to death' in Polish camps? [58]


No, I expect monuments for the dead!


You're talking about the Jewish nation?
And this particular war was hardly more horrible than the trench warfare between the Germans and the French, and yet they have no problem to accept that before god all men are equal.

History / Russians 'tortured to death' in Polish camps? [58]


The (Western?) European spirit of reconciliation, on which the whole EU is actually based(!), isn't that narrow-minded.

History / Russians 'tortured to death' in Polish camps? [58]

I'm divided on the topic. First of all, the strong language (brutally, tortured, death camp) is out of place and indicates the true intention of the initiators. Not conciliation but confrontation. Such a plague has to go immediately.

On the other hand: the Russian news site states that the current inscriptions don't mention the Russian dead. I don't know if it's true, but I know some places in Czechia and Poland were victims of Czechs and Poles get concealed on such official plagues by writing some vague phrases like "to remember the dead former inhabitants of this village/town" or "to remember the dead who died between 1945 and 1947". That's no conciliation either.

So, if the Polish plagues don't mention the Russian dead both sides are equally guilty.

History / Pannonia - was it a part of Poland? [3]

Crow, with your vast knowledge you should rewrite these Wikipedia articles, because now they all tell lies:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pannonia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prehistoric_Hungary
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmatian

:D

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]


Is this the reason why their country looks neater?

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]


Well, there are solutions, but they require western societies to accept that they are immigration countries, and that these immigrants are a integral part of the country. Until a few years ago these western societies were quite happy with the status quo. The immigrants did all the bad work the locals didn't want to do anymore, and apart from that the immigrants were in their own quarters and didn't bother the locals. No one cared.

Integration is possible. Compulsory kindergardens for all, quotas for kindergardens and schools, smaller classes with individual mentoring are a great way to start. But this means that this unwanted, foreign underclass comes out of the ghettos and to the well-off suburbs of the locals, and that's were all these ideas end. Integration is actually not wanted, because it means more competition for the established middle-class.

News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]


Yes, there is a French dream. The citoyen, based on the enlightenment and French revolution. But the concept is a bit more complex than the American dream.

Life / Positive things which make a Pole stand out positively in the World! [30]


Yeah, most other nations don't have that sense of Polishness... ;)

History / Are Polish territories natively German? [73]

I know, I know. Poland ruled over a region 1000 years ago? That's historically Polish land! 3 Poles lived in a city? Polish city, for sure! Slavic tribes muttered some words like Poles? They were Poles of course! Someone traded with Polish grain? Must be a Pole then!

:D

History / Are Polish territories natively German? [73]


How is Polish grain relevant? Silly argument. All big cities of that time were on the crossroads of important trading routes. In Danzigs case it was the amber road, where more than grain was traded... the name of the road might give you a hint.

And the Polish role in the history of Danzig/Gdańsk is minor. There is almost no legacy of the much sought (and the Commies certainly gave their best), mystical Polish minority in the city. If I look at the history I can find many German names in all civic matters, quite a few Dutch artists and builders, a few Scots... but almost no Poles. The few known Poles are mostly outsiders who came into the town on behalf of the Polish overlord and/or the church.

If Wilno, with 50-65% Poles, is considered a Polish town here, then Danzig, with 95% Germans, can be considered a historically German town. 5% other nationalities don't make a town multicultural.

History / Why did Russia attack Poland in WW2? [178]


No, electric submarines which could operate entirely submerged were a German invention.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Type_XXI_submarine


No, submarines with air-independent propulsion were built by other countries only in the 50s.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air-independent_propulsion


All these technologies were first built by Germany, and many post-war designs of the Soviet Union and the USA are based on German designs. You have to wonder why they didn't use their own design, since they, according to you, all already had the technology.


Since you know so much, please add your knoweledge to this article:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sturmgewehr_44
LOL, the name "assualt rifle" is even based on the German word Sturmgewehr, and the AK-47 is based on this German design... :D

History / Why did Russia attack Poland in WW2? [178]


Oh, I forgot the acoustic torpedo... what a long list of mediocrity... :D

History / Why did Russia attack Poland in WW2? [178]


Yeah, electric boats, air-independent propulsion, flying wings, turbojet bombers and fighters, rocket-powered fighters, sweep wings, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, supersonic surface-to-air missiles, man-portable air-defense systems, short-range ballistic missiles, assault rifles... what a myth!!! I'm sure it's some kind of anti-Polish conspiracy.

History / Are Polish territories natively German? [73]


Wait a second, your argument was that the presence of a multitude of nationalities means that every nationality can claim a city. You switch your argument.

But anyway. Danzig was a "Free and Hanseatic City", where burghers freely decided about the fate of their home. At one time they wanted to be part of Poland since the Polish crown ceded them more priviliges, and later they wanted to be part of Germany, after the rise of nationalism in the 19th century.

History / Are Polish territories natively German? [73]

The same can be said about almost every bigger city, especially Hansa cities. By this standards Poles shouldn't demand Krakow either, lol.

History / Are Polish territories natively German? [73]


Some nationalists and governments justified modern borders with the presence of their people 1000 years ago... that's why the topic is poisened.

News / Row over status of Poles in Germany sours relations [176]


Which countries allow immigrants education in their own language?

News / Row over status of Poles in Germany sours relations [176]


They have the same rights as everyone else.

News / Row over status of Poles in Germany sours relations [176]


They were assimilated like the French Huguenots, the Czech protestants... and the Olędrzy.

News / Row over status of Poles in Germany sours relations [176]

Economic immigrants aren't the same as ethnic minorities. I don't think these Poles can prove a long-term presence as a group on a specific territory in Germany, unlike the Sorbs or Danes.

USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]


Seriously, don't drive without GPS! Either rent a car with GPS or buy a cheap portable device. Makes your trip much, much easier.
And btw: many car rentals in Germany don't let you drive to Poland.

News / How Polish diaspora see future of Poland? as ethnic Polish state or just Polish in origin? [120]

Economic success of Poland + freedom of movement within the EU = multiethnic Poland

History / Poles in the Napoleonic era [224]

The general problem is that in Poland quotes of German politicians and rulers are frequently seen out of context to prove a point. Frederick II was probably the Prussian king who cared the least about such things as nationality. He spoke bad German... I think he actually spoke German only to his horses, he had a low opinion of Germans, he didn't care about religions. His entire mindset was practical and directed to raise Prussias standing. For instance, his attitude towards Jews was strictly practical. He supported them in one area to promote trade, and tried to limit their influence in other areas where the Jews dominated business.

I'm sure the quote about Polish teachers has a completely different background, especially since he promoted the settling of Poles and Czechs in other parts of Silesia.

History / Poles in the Napoleonic era [224]

These districts in Lower Silesia were mostly close to Upper Silesia or the Polish border and hosted Polish linguistic enclaves. That's nothing new. But even there Poles were a minority. Only in some villages they formed a majority.

History / Poles in the Napoleonic era [224]

Hmm... let me think. Thousands and thousands of Silesians fled to other countries during the Habsburg rule since their faith was surpressed (by force!). During Prussian rule thousands of Poles and Czechs settled in Silesia.

Looks like faith was much more of an issue than language in pre-nationalistic times.

History / Poles in the Napoleonic era [224]


Other forums are hardly a good source, especially when the discussion centers around small linguistic islands and different periods of time.

History / Poles in the Napoleonic era [224]


You complain that Prussia had no minority politics before the age of nationalism? And, so what?
And of course there was education before Prussia... either for children of wealthy people and/or education provided by the church, which had no use for the ideas of the enlightenment.


I object the idea to mix up Poland, Silesia, Frederick, Bismarck and to create a huge Anti-Polish conspiracy. History is a bit more complicated, and Prussias politics in Silesia were quite different from the politics in Poland.

Do you know that Frederick also invited Czechs and Poles to Silesia? How does this get along with his alleged Germanisation efforts?


LOL, this hurts!
1. Silesia was almost entirely protestant before the counter-reformation
2. Because of the counter-reformation (do you know what the counter-reformation actually was?) a large number of people fled to Saxony, Brandenburg and Poland (so much for religious freedom)

3. this Silesian matter was so important that several conflicts between Protestant and Catholic powers occured, which led the churches of peace, among other things
4. the border churches along the Silesian border also show the large number of Protestants
5. the building of a church and the appointment of a pastor were a matter of the community, the Prussian state just gave the permission. You think all the Protestant churches which popped up shortly after Prussias takeover were built for fun?


No, Poles were actually a minority already in 1400, when Germans surpassed them.

History / Poles in the Napoleonic era [224]


That's the typical, narrow-minded view which is based on nationality and language, which is not suitable to explain the politics of the 18th century. The Prussian takeover of Silesia led to huge changes in the administration of the church, state, educational system and so on. Education became compulsory (!), freedom of religion was established, and the state administration became closer to the people. This was all very progressive, but meant that minorities had much more contact with the majority. For instance, each child had to go to the school, and church services were hold in the language of the majority (and not in Latin anymore). That's why the Polish minorities in Lower Silesia disappeared while the Polish majority in Upper Silesia stayed.

History / Poles in the Napoleonic era [224]


You confuse several things here. The topic is the early 19th century, your first quote is from the early 20th century. Because of the evolving nationalism in Europe these eras were quite different. Before the age of nationalism, and after the enlightenment, Prussia was actually quite liberal and a pretty progressive society.

And Bismarcks quote often gets misread. He also says that Poles have his full sympathy. What he said was that he fully understands the Polish cause, but in order to preserve the unity of Germany he has to take harsh measures. In retrospect this was of course wrong, but at that time no government had an answer to the evolving nationalism of the 19th century.