History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

It's not gambling if you know you're going to win: 1976

Punters at Służewiec Horseracing Track are absolutely convinced that today is the day they're going to win big.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Thanks! :)

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


In socialism even patients were strong enough to push their ambulance.


Hmm... looks like an interesting film. Will try to find it somewhere online. :)

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Commie (mega)blocks: 1977

Schooldchildren are coming back home to their cosy, huge, concrete cuboids (in the background we can see the famous 'Falowiec' in Gdańsk).

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

With a little help from my friends: 1977

This Fiat 125p ('p' for Polish) ambulance needs just a little push from helpful passers-by to get on time where it's needed.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Yes, the game ended with a 0-0 draw, but it was Poland who went further in the tournament.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Y Viva Polonia!: 1982

Solidarity banner unfolded in the Polish stand, as Poland is about to play the USSR in the 1982 football World Cup in Spain (biało-czerwoni will eventually finish third, beating France 3-2 in the 3rd place playoff).

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]

Former Konfederacja MP, Janusz Korwin Mikke, is starting a new party soon (which he announced at a press conference last week). His partners in the endeavour are Stanisław Michalkiewicz and a former Euro-MP, Robert Iwaszkiewicz...

... there are rumours floating about that the new party is where Grzegorz Braun will find shelter, after he is (most likely) kicked out of Konfederacja.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Martial Law in Pomerania: 1981

Citizens watch in surprise as tanks roll through the streets of Gdańsk.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


Another similarity between our people. Remind me again: why are we enemies? *scratches head*

EDIT: Oh, yes... Putin and his great "Let's Restore the Soviet Union" circus. Almost forgot... :-/

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


One of the greatest Brits ever! I was a Speccy maniac myself. :)


I have to admit that Russian Spectrum demo scene was the best. It's crazy what your guys could do with the machine - they were able to squeeze every last bit of juice out of the old ZX. Aaaah... those were the days.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

A wedding photo: 1940

Times were difficult but people were still falling in love and people were still getting married, like this cavalier of the Fighter's Cross (for the 1939 defensive campaign) and his wife Janina. Alas, their story did not have a happy end.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Into the 21st century: 1987

Highschool students working on their brand new Elwro 800 Junior (Polish-made ZX Spectrum clone). It is estimated that in late 80s and early 90s about 1 million primary school and highschool students in Poland used E800J in their IT classes.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Highlander, Don't You Regret?: 1979

Pope John Paul II in the marketplace of his hometown (Wadowice) during his first apostolic visit to Poland.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Sealed With a Kiss: 1973

Edward Gierek welcoming Leonid Brezhnev in Warsaw, and confirming Polish-Soviet friendship in a rather manly manner.

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]


They did! Here's a cover of a German advertisement booklet...

... and they were seen all around Danish countryside in the 80s/90s (apparently Danish farmers thought the car was cheap and quite sturdy). :)

They were exported to many countries of the world and we sold licence abroad (they were manufactured in Egypt, China and Thailand).

Jeremy Clarkson is not the greatest fan of Polonez, to put it mildly, but the car was quite decent in the poor, grey communist times.


That's old Poland for you: more eastern than it is today and multi-cultural. :)

History / Pol-Shorpy Photo Thread [950]

Kneeling in a Winter Wonderland: 1944

Soldiers of AK (Home Army) 27th Volhynian Division taking their oath in a beautiful winter scenery.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]

Feedback / How to reply to a thread on this website? [28]

Wanted to start a new thread but the board won't let me. It says "Go back!" and asks me to select proper category; I tried "History" (most appropriate for the thread imo), "Life" and finally "Random" but each time I got the same message. :-/ Check your PM.

News / Time to clean the swamp - dePiSification of Poland [298]


Also known as "slaughtering the pack" (dorzynanie watahy)...

polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/kraj/1510018,1,dozynanie-czy-dorzynanie-czyli-co-z-ta-wataha.read

... :)

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]

@Paulina



- And, on top of it all, you sprayed it right into her face?
- You're crazy, man. Yes - God bless, God bless.

xD

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]

Anyways, Rich, read the opening post again and the article linked. Braun said that he was stopping "the act of wild, talmudic cult", so he kinda admitted himself to disturbing religious activity. :)

I suppose that's why idiots commiting crimes have the right to remain silent afterwards - not to incriminate themselves. Braun chose not to exercise this right. :)

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]


Lighting hanukkah candles is most definitely a religious activity, and the ceremony was just taking place - the Klezmer band was still playing, for f*ck sakes, and there were people from the Jewish relgious commune still present there (the woman who tried to stop Braun was one of them).

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]


Well, spraying somebody's face with a fire extinguisher is definitely assault. Putting down the candles during a religious ceremony is also a criminal offence under Polish law (which protects acts of religious cult). Straight from Polish Policja website...

"Przeszkadzanie publicznemu wykonywaniu aktu religijnego lub obrzędom żałobnym (art. 195) § 1. Kto złośliwie przeszkadza publicznemu wykonywaniu aktu religijnego kościoła lub innego związku wyznaniowego o uregulowanej sytuacji prawnej, podlega grzywnie, karze ograniczenia wolności albo pozbawienia wolności do lat 2."

statystyka.policja.pl/st/kodeks-karny/przestepstwa-przeciwko-5/63491,Przeszkadzanie-publicznemu-wykonywaniu-aktu-religijnego-lub-obrzedom-zalobnym-ar.html

... so, yes it looks like he commited an act of crime but more importantly he commited an act of complete and utter twattiness.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]


Polish language contains a lot of germanisms. There's about 2500 German loanwords in Polish listed in the dictionary below...

ksiegarnia.pwn.pl/Slownik-zapozyczen-niemieckich-w-polszczyznie,68423480,p.html

... and here's a list at the Oldenburg University site...

diglib.bis.uni-oldenburg.de/bis-verlag/wdlp/ab_H.html

There's surprisingly many of them, considering the fact that the languages are so different and the peoples were not exactly friendly towards each other throughout history.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]


I doubt it.

Imagine the scene...

"Russian intelligence officer: Gospodin Braun, here's one twatillion rubles. Now, go and put down Hanukkah candles in Knesejm (as some vicious people call it).

Braun: No problem, boss. Should I also assault a female Jewish doctor in the process?

RIO: Yes, please. That will help our war effort immensely, and you will be given another c*ntillion rubles for that.

Braun: Sweet. I'm on it."

... it just doesn't make sense.

We are looking for something deeper in this whilst the whole story is simply about Braun being an attention seeking twat. Nothing more to it. Only this time he took his antics a bit too far and opened himself to legal action. Serves him well.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]


About Germany you should ask either BB or Tacitus, I am not a specialist on German matters.

The demand to remove a nativity scene or a Christmas tree in Poland would be very unlikely to succeed.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]

One thing that surprises me in all the drama is that there are no voices praising the band...



... they kept playing until the end, like on the Titanic.

News / Polish PM Tusk- dictator or not? What Poles think? [421]

Tusk mentioned in his inaugural speech that he won't break any military contracts that PiS made, all the purchases will be realised, all the obligations and contracts will be respected...

onet.pl/biznes/biznesalert/tusk-w-expose-zapowiada-ze-nie-zerwie-umow-na-wojskowy-sprzet/l7rys6d,30bc1058

... +1 for Tusk. Strengthening the Army should be above any political conflicts.