Is there something like a "Polish culture" or Polish national identity?

If that was true, why is Poland somewhat lacking in world class athletes?

Because we are still unable to come to terms with the simple fact that foreigners are so ignorant about Poland. It just sounds like a provocation. 'Is it safe for me to come to Poland and walk the streets? I am a black gay.'

There is 'something' like Polish culture, although I would not aspire to give a comprehensive definition. Centuries ago it was easier. I mean, it is easier to give now a definition of the past Polish culture. As for national identity, the answer is simple: yes. In this aspect we are just like any other nation, we do have a national identity.

Hey, no one said that this state of mind has to extend too far beyond it. :-P

Dope! You're back! They're working you to death at that school man, you gotta visit more often, you know?

Come on and answer this lady's questions.

What is the true polish identity/culture? Also, if you'd be so kind, go ahead and please explain the "Plastic Polack" concept.

Back in the 19th century, Juliusz Słowacki, one of Poland's three great romantic bards (or four if Norwid is included), called Poland 'a peacock and parrot amongst nations'. He seems to have hit the nail on the head. To this day nothing has changed although the proportions fluctate from time to time and from communtiy to community. By peacock he meant a people proud of their unique heritage, whilst the parrto was ingtended to signify a tendency to turn one's back on one's birthright and ape foreign ways. All of you can answer for yourselves whether and in what area of scrutiny there is a 50-50 balance between the two, or some other proportion -- 60-40, 80-20, 90-10.....

Polish culture is like Russian with more vodka.

Polish culture is just like British, but Polish tend to take care of their teeth better and they're way more intelligent and resourceful.

Russian culture is like vodka and a pinch of Polish.


The question is rather vague, come to think of it. Polish 'arts and sciences' culture'? Culture of everyday life, means level of civility? Unique way of doing things, like not crouching on the toilet seat? Mentality, attitude to life, people and everything?

Well I said athletes of Polish descent not just athletes from Poland. There have been top athletes in just about every sport there is, who are of Polish descent.

Don't tell me you are not aware of all the great Polish athletes that have been in baseball, tennis basketball, NFL Football, Soccer, Weightlifting, boxing, MMA fighting, ect etc.

As for Poland,

Currently you have a world class woman's tennis player from Poland.

Do I have to remind you not long ago where 3 of the 10 world's strongest men came from?

Do I have to remind you what country has great boxers especially for its size??

delph this topic of Polish athletes you definitely have little knowledge of. Its hard to believe you live in Poland or are around Poles, without knowing about these things.

True. I'll give you that - despite her father's political views, I can respect the way that she managed to success in spite of the general lack of sporting opportunities here.


Haha, come on - although it's fun to watch, those guys are all roided up. Pudzian would never last ten seconds without his steroids ;) Great marketing for Poland though, I must admit.


Polish boxers aren't really anything special - Adamek has only really found success in the Heavyweight division because the challengers are so awful. Golota was a gutsy, but stupid guy.


I know enough about Polish athletes ;)

To be fair, Poland has produced Adam Malysz and Justyna Kowalczyk in recent years - both of them are genuinely world class. They're also starting to produce a lot of good goalkeepers in football - but seem to doing badly in all other areas ;)

Truth is MW, Poland does really badly for her size. Look at Australia - 21 million people, about half of Poland's size and far more isolated, yet they're far superior in almost every sport.

Tell me though - do you think Polish Americans would be interested in helping Polish sport with financial contributions? Poland badly needs American money and expertise in sport.

It's because they are lazy and undeciplined. Have you heard about drinking in Polish football?

It's not to do with being lazy and undisciplined, but rather problems relating to a lack of funding and corruption. The PZPN is a great example of this - instead of leading the way and making Poland into a reasonable force, they've spent years sitting on their hands and doing next to nothing.

(they DO have the players - Klose and Podolski are two great examples of players that should be scoring for Poland, not Germany!)

And yes, I read something about the drinking issue. Sadly, as long as the whole system is run rather unprofessionally, we'll never see any change.

On the other hand, Poland's winter sports organisations seem to be far, far, far better run.

What about recent Jagna Marczłajtis accusations of forged scores in some snowboard event?

Keep it simple.. I like it. Though I would say less Wodka. ;)

To the OP. Here you have people who like to think they identify with Poland... The louder they are about it the less they usually know in detail.

My opinion.

Ask some Babcias. They have lived their whole lives there. Poland is its history so the older the person the more informative in my view... Though whether they would like to talk about it is another thing...

This generation are widely dispersed and culturally disjointed in my view... but that is part of understanding current Poland too so cannot be discounted...

Good luck! :)

Generally slavic culture is less about rights and more about freedom.You feel an unrestricted freedom since there are few rights to respect.

Rights and freedom go hand and hand. Without rights, there is no freedom.

Ok, maybe I have to come back here and rearange my topic then. I don't see the question as ignorant, or anything like that, as its up to everyone themselves to answer if there is something like a "polish culture" and its strange as nobody has given/wanted to give their answer/thought on the subject... or question.

But I have to come back to that, and redefine the question, as if there is not a or a single ONE culture, but many/a lot of of cultures, and subcultures, nationalities, etc. and not only one "single" culture, as its not such a homogenous (?) country. That together with different religious directions which themselves forms a different subculture. So the answer/or question, should not be if there is something like one[i][/i] "polish" nationality, or national identity, but in the case consists of many.

Therefore it would have been interesting to here the peoples opinion here, and what your definition of the polish culture is.

I might rephrase my answer then:
Culture (from the Latin cultura stemming from colere, meaning "to cultivate")[1] is a term that has various meanings.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture

The article is coupla scores screens long. What do you mean by culture?

No offence, but try reading that backwards and perhaps it will make more sense.