History of two Neighbors: Poland - Germany Interrelations

I'm a bit curious about this part of history between the two countries as I've heard that in the past, even during the early years of their neighboring, it wasn't uncommon for Poles to have relations with the Germans and because they've been neighbors for a long time it wasn't anything unusual to 'interbreed' (sorry for the expression). When I was young, I remember I was told by my gray-grandmother that I have a German relative. Apparently, someone in the family had married one which I guess may be taken as proof for all the above.

If we go back in time, was this actually happening and was it really common?
If so, when did these interrelations first start taking place and where does it date back to?
Does anyone have any additional information on this subject to share? (Any information is appreciated)

(Btw, I'm not against such relations as I myself am half Polish from my father and don't view it as strange).

Plenty. There has always been overlap between the two communities and people with a foot in each camp. Lots of Poles have German names and lots of Germans have Polish names. Plus entire cultural groups that straddle both. As Gunther Grass (of Kaszub roots) said, the Kaszubs are too German for the Poles and too Polish for the Germans.


The beginning of settled life. I wouldn't call it 'interrelations' since the borders were fluid and the two nationalities very close.

Skacia,

Much of present-day Poland, i.e. since before the Polish Partition and the Polish "Corridor", long prior to WWII, was once part of German territory, dating back to the earliest days of the Kingdom of Prussia:-) The majority of Polish city and town names therefore often have a German equivalent, e.g. Szczecin/Stettin, Gdańsk/Danzig, Bytom/Beuthen, Toruń/Thorn, Poznań/Posen, Wrocław/Breslau, Włosława (??)/Lesau etc...

Poland and Germany have indeed been neighbors with a most challenging relationship.

Absolutely. I wouldn't say "really common", but for instance - the Poznan Voivodship (province) in 1921 had 7.6% Germans. Those numbers held pretty much steady throughout the 2nd Republic - and there are plenty of people in this part of the world with German names.

[moved from]

Oh please...as if they didn't rape Poles.


According to Prof. Chwalba of Jagiellonian University, this behavior reached such a scale that the Polish communists installed in the city by the Soviet Union, composed a letter of protest to Joseph Stalin himself. At the Kraków Main station, Poles who tried to rescue the victims of gang rape were shot at.

German women were protected (at least partially) by strict instructions about their treatment during transfer, issued by the Soviet command. However, there were no such instructions, or any instructions whatsoever about the Poles

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_Soviet_occupation_of_Poland


dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3818311/Forgotten-story-Polish-nuns-gang-raped-pregnant-advancing-Soviet-troops-cared-French-female-doctor-revealed-time-70-years.html

Hell, they even raped jewish women just freed from a KZ....only stupids believe they would chose their victims only after nationality!

individual.utoronto.ca/jarekg/Ravensbruck/LastDays.html

I've thought you knew your history...

You are upset by the notion that Germans have so much Russian DNA in them. You're not racist are you?

And also let's not forget about the scale. Up to 2 million German when got raped during Soviet occupation if East Germany

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_during_the_occupation_of_Germany

I just know history better....

And it wasn't me who put a preference to looks....that was you.

You are definitely a racist. Your anti-german hate is not normal anymore and can't be explained historically as other Poles are alot more rational. In your eyes anything German is bad in your eyes, even innocent landscape becomes "wasteland" the moment the border is crossed, see treatment pronto! You have some deep seated problems, this forum is not good for you.

To not aggravate your psychological problems I put you on ignore for now!

I wonder if such method of protection from rapes could work as to cement everything in there. Some glue or concrete or tar could work? I think those who raped often lacked time for something too difficult (as cement removal)...

@Bratwurst Boy

Sure, it takes German to know what Poles think and what Poles should say on PolishForums.
Psst, maybe this forum not good for you, BratwurstBoy? It clearly reads: PolishForums not GermanForums.

So I suggest that you either adjust to free speech or take a hike if you can't stand it.

That's my problem with Germans in general - you're totalitarian at heart. By your totalitarian approach you even turn virtues into vices. And then you want to forcibly share it with those who don't want it.

BB you are so wrong. Learn about your country more before you comment on mine .Polish women were raped no question about it by Russians and Germans

We were "allies" plus there were two Polish armies fighting alongside Russians As far as Germany, Russian soldiers were allowed to rape and pillage with

impunity according to unwritten war low ,centuries old. For full three days .Saying remembered even today;"Kak my pajdiom w Germaniu tam my dadiom pa rubcu"

And they certainly did Horrible!!

Don't believe me...follow the link and research for yourself.

No harm was intended in this instance. Some of it I do believe it is every day knowledge, some I don't because you showing preference for a German point of view

Look Israelis remember distant injustices of Masada Arabs or Muslims remember Crusaders French Canadians remember Arcadia, why do you think we should forget Nazi Germany? In my own family in our Family Book five innocent slayed ,two without the trace not even ashes remain, and somehow I should forget.

then there is long history .I am just now for a third time . reading eye witness account of the rape of Slavic Mazury

@Spike31
No it is not, since women killed such children. They are called flowerpot babies for a reason (since many put the corpse into a big pot and planted some kind of bush over it to cover it up. The social stigma of such a child led most women to simply abort it or in many cases to kill it after birth and be done with it. There is no meassurable genetic influx in such events.

The most heavy mass rapes happened in poland btw. Even nuns got gangraped

That said, i dont forbid you to talk about what was done to your country. You can cry all day how we Germans did this and russkies did that. Just accept, that it doesnt bother me, that i couldnt care less and in reality i give a **** about it.

That makes it tragic funny in a way.

Where do you get information? Germany by far. for ages Russian soldiers were allowed to rape ,women in the conquered country.
In Poland ,Russians were forced to pretend "friendship", besides two Polish armies would have rebel, not something Russians could afford , at the time


How very German of you. Some of you even claim. you have rejoined ranks of the humanity. Then like a bad dream you reveal your kind, for what you really are

One can take the boy out of his history, but not the history out of the boy:-) Tough for a leopard to change its spots, although cross-breeding CAN actually

make them a bit lighterLOL

@Przelotnyptak1

Cry me a river. Bad things happen in wars. Why should i feel more sorry for poles in WW II than to Inka in the war between Atahualpa and Huascar in Peru? I couldnt care less. I have no interest in people who are not my own. The fate or history of your people is irrelevant for me.

....then I guess you have no humanity left either, if you ever had any to begin with!
I wouldn't be so proud of my misguided opinions there, Weimarer. I'd be ashamed
to come across to others as such a jerk.

But that's only one man's mindset.

You have your opinion, i have mine. I believe in honesty. I feel nothing towards WW II in poland. I care only for my own people.

I would lie if i would say otherwise.

You were born too late....you should have been born in 1920.......Hitler would have been your hero and you would have died following him.

One certainly cannot fault you or others who feel as you do for your unvarnished straightforwardness. However, the worst sort of difference is INdifference, the formaldehyde which preserves us humans from experiencing either the feelings or the emotions of others, permitting us to live extremely long, comfortable, in the end spiritually vastly unfulfilling lives.

Being of German stock, your forbearers were no doubt influenced by the writings of Immanuel Kant, who taught among other things that in the obedience to the highest authority here on earth, of course, any and all predilictions of human empathy or compassion towards others (particularly towards those who disobeyed the Law) were essentially "superfluous", therefore of no serious consequence in the ultimate execution of that which was deemed right, according to the strict adherence to Kantian

logic.

This construct, as in mathematics, works fine from an intellectual point of view, it falls miserably short from a human perspective, justifying the cruelest treatment of our fellow human beings.

It was the same philosopher who, though hardly the only one, proposed a postulate which questioned the existence of G-d! The Nazis too, many of whom were highly literate men, I will admit, used the logic of Herr Kant among many others, to rationalize their unspeakable cruelty towards other human beings whom they deemed weak or unfit for the heroic, tough lifestyle of their ideal Aryan Superman (misreading of Nietzsche, by the way).

Let's hope you won't fall into the same category, Weimarer.

@Miloslaw

You have no clue. Im against any form of Socialism. A hero for me is Rommel, not a weakling like Hitler. I stand for a strong, independent Germany. What i dont stand for is wasting resources to conquer s.

You like The Ol' "Desert Fox" (whose son Manfred was Stuttgart's most popular mayor ever, I'm told), anti-Hitler and not known to have been indoctrinated with Nazi

anti-Semitism.

And yet, you'd vote for AfD in a shot.

You are a curious conundrum, aren't you Weimarer!
:-)

And Poland is a s?Right?
I quite liked your patriotism when you started to post on here.
But now I see you for the fascist that you are.....
So sad,I had hoped for more from the German youth......

Milo, far too many Germans still unfortunately think of Poland as that backwater neighbor full of big-boned whorish females and oafish men who think a tree is something one eatsLOL German arrogance and superiority extends as far south as even Switzerland or Austria, much less Italy, Greece or Spain, that latter three being in German eyes great vacation spots with loose women, but serious culture, science or the like??!

Many would laugh. I agree with you here, Milo. It's sad.

The AfD is not antisemitic. Its only party in Germany that protects jews.

SPD is antisemitic with a president congratulating Iran and partnership to Fatah.

CDU is anti jewish as well.

And yet they have openly antisemite politicians like Wolfgang Gedeon in leading positions.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Gedeon#Accusations_of_antisemitism

Is Steinmeier not in leading position? He is an open antisemitic. Stands for the mullah regime which wants destroy israel.

What about Gabriel? Who is also antisemitic and support Fatah?

So spare me the crocodile tears.

He is just stupid!

But yeah...there are some circles within the SPD who are not averse to some "Diktator kuscheln"...

Just think about Schröder and his bromance with Putin!

Its just funny AfD is critisized for antisemitism when its the only party protecting jews in Germany and supports Israel and not islamofacist regimes.

Especially when this critique comes from the left with all their "boycott Israel" demos....

Broder himself recently was at a AfD meeting...the same who was chucked out from the Spiegel a few years back...