History / Polish conscripts to German army [132]


After realising that a lot of Polish speaking Silesians who were earlier drafted into Wehrmacht (often as your dad being blackmailed to sign a Volksliste) were taken prisoner of war in Italy Polish army in Italy (forces under command of Władysław Anders) made an effort to offer these guys joining the Polish army and many eventually did (I can't remember but I guess it was more then 10 000 people) - and it is true that those who returned in early after the war to their homeland were imprisoned by the communists (even in the Auschwitz camp), often tortured and some even killed - some where also sent to Siberia

Language / How to overcome the difficulties on learning Polish consonants ? [5]

if there is a will there is a way

the thing is is it actually worth it to master Polish pronounciation to the point of not sticking out as a foreigner when speaking Polish? - I think it's not worth it most of the time - the reason is: I guess it is possible to perfectly imiatate Polish pronounciations even (if people can perfectly imitate birds and other fauna why not POlish) for an Anglophone but I'm pretty sure it requires loooooots of effort and and imaginative effort at that

History / History behind Poland and Turkey's Relationship [120]


an average Polish citizens knows kebab, remembers Turkish woolen sweaters and Turkish jeans (early 90's) and knows Turkey is a beautiful country with brilliant seaside and lots of historic places

some remember from history lessons that there were wars between Poland and Turkey

Language / Polish grammar made easy [23]

Polish grammar made easy - eh - you can't make Polish grammar easy - you can explain it more accessibly or transparently but making it easy? nah

Life / Gifts from Poland (I'm returning to my country after a year in Poland) [37]


again Solidarność cream fudges are the best - they are the most mild (ie not too sweet) - you won't find Śliwka nałęczowska solidarnosc.pl/index.php?option=products&task=list&cid=23 in discount stores - look in sweet shops and delis

Life / Polish comedies created by Bareja, are they understandable for non Polish people ? [12]

there is a one genial scene in the movie that happens when the main prothagonists drinks in a pub in Hungary and retells to some Hungarian lad he's drinking with (the Hungarian is already dead drunk) the story of Otello (he was at a 'Otello' spectacle in a Budapest theatre that day) - he grabs the waiter's neck to show how Otello strangled Desdemona and the panicked waiter (a Hungarian too obviously) gives back the change from the notes he just received from the Polish guy

... - the scene starts at 1:45 more or less

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1410]


Estonian? :)


they are petunias - quite commonly grown in Poland (I don't know about elsewhere) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petunia

Real Estate / Renting flat/apartment with dog Gdansk? [24]

but not in your day-to-day newspapers and their classifieds websites

Jars77 when you contact the owners just ask if it's all right for you to keep a dog (and state the breed and how big it is) - in some cases the owners will object, in most cases they won't

Life / Help with Polish address - the correct way of putting that on an envelope? [29]


yes line by line - and yes the last line is most probably a 'fake' postcode - it doesn't mean a thing in terms of addressing in Poland and there is already a postcode 25001

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]

i'm not into funniness in politics - well actually politicians could have a sense of humour but I'm not the fan of Mr Palikot's sense of humour

btw you were supposed to go to bed, pal - I don't need to get up early - you do - good night then

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


hehe good job - rather a big push from media - remember those who want to create a political movement in Poland and don't have a support of the TV's just won't make it - and if you think Palikot and his bunch are anti-establishment then think again

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


you like whom? Urban and Nie? well - de gustibus.. hehe - if you don't know what you like I will point it out for you - (if it is really Urban that you like) - it is cynicism - I wonder if you like Palikot too

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]

with doubts about what? about wethere he was a traitor of whether he was a hero? not being able to believe that people can act heroically? do you yourself feel betrayed by Kukliński? why actually if so? I pretty much think you have read or listened to Janusz Korwin-Mikke too much in your life - maybe you don't believe Kukliński was risking his life? or maybe you think he was a double agent? or maybe you think he was a genuine defector but the information he fed the US was false because it was fed by some Soviet intelligence cells? see a broader picture and what fits there

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


oh my - would you risk your life (and that of your family) for even a couple of million bucks - Kukliński had a pretty comfortable postion - higher officer in the center of Polish army staff - you may lack in belief in higher principles or possibility that people can sacrifice for others - just read up - and try to imagine yourself in the guys situation

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


can't you really see the analogy with mafia? or a company that covers their operations that are highly detrimental to the environment?

if these people who he worked with were deluded and believed in certain things and then felt betrayed it's actually only their problem - they haven't been punished because of his deeds - so what do you want

imagine yourself working in a company that smugles say radioactive waste to landfills - you didn't know that but you learn it step by step - what do you do - cover for those who you work with - not open your mouth because your friends tell you not to cause they don't want their company to get a bad name? - what is loyalty worth if you are loyal to evil???


then simply read up, pal - cause you just seem to know to little about the guy (or your imagination fails you)

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


what is not clear - do you think the guy sold Soviet tactical and strategic plans to Americans for money? are his not motives clear for you - communist Poland was no America - if found a traitor would be killed - noone of such an intelectual composure would risk his life for his personal gains - some facts may not be clear OK - perhaps we will never know the detail - but if you don't find his motives clear then I completely don't understand you

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


it's to offend

and no I don't mean to offend you - you offend yourself with your flawed logic

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


in what way are you loyal to Poland? because I can think of many ways you can be quite unloyal to Poland (btw loyal to Poland means loyal to the government or the Polish people well-being in your dictionary)

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]

this is called relativism in case you didn't know

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


if you betray mafia you are a traitor - and well you should be killed prefferably by the police - or sentenced to death for your filthy deed by an official tribunal - it's your own logic

btw I think you only have an opinnion on that matter because you're addicted to having opinnions :)

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]

and the guy had plenty of courage to do what he did - I don't know if I would ever be that courageous

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


you know some people worked with Hitler - if any of them some day defected would you rejoice or send them in front of a firing squad - if you were caught up in some evil practices does it make sense to stay loyal who you are with in these practices (like being in mafia) - capsisci?

maybe you are just a simple guy who will just cover for your friends whatever they do - sure you can call it loyalty and even honour - I call it tribalism and the lack of percepiton of higher morals

History / Poland: Her heroes and her traitors [239]


in my personal opinion your logic is pretty deficient - I'm sure you would still like to live under communism

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1410]


I agree with southern - your prominent cheek bones would have me thinking you have a great deal of Russian ancestry - Eesti? Latvian?

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]


there was a sizable Polish minority in Latvia in the interbellum period 1920-1939 around the town of Dyne(n)burg /Daugavspils - the people Polonized in the late 18th century and remained there after partitions - some of the Latvian Polonia remained in Latvia after 1945

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [263]


Rostowski born in London in a family of immigrants who stayed in the UK after 1945 - the language he speaks is the language of someone who has grown up and got educated in the environment of the language - his English is much better than Sikorki's if you ask me

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [263]


Sikorski is educated in Oxford, spent time as a war correspondent in Afghanistan for a British magaizne co you can't really compare him to Fotyga - sure it's better if a foreign minister is fluent and outspoken in English, but it's not that they still don't use interpreters in their talks - and in such a diplomatic environment as the EU Poland should use a couple of interpreters at a time (English, German, French or others depening on the countries involved - think of negotiating things with Mrs Merkel and not having not just an English intrepreter but also an interpreter of German at hand)

I think, Mrs Fotyga's English is decent enough

Genealogy / THE MEANING AND RESEARCH OF MY POLISH LAST NAME, SURNAME? [4500]

Gypsies haven't mixed with the nations they used to live among that much (they still don't mix very much) - so unless your grandmother was actually a Gypsy he couldn't bear a Gypsy surname

then East Prussia is not Belarus - what was East Prussia is now in half in Poland and in half the Kaliningrad enclave of Russia

only a handful of nations inhabited East Prussia - Germans, Poles (Mazurzy/Masuren), Lithuanians and Russian religious emigrates (raskolnitsy - starowiercy/ Old Believers) - the surname of your grandmom may sounds Polish or Russian (or Ruthenian) - if it is spelled as it is written

using the German spelling (were 'z' stands for 'ts') - then it's pretty obviously Masurian (dialectal Polish) surname - it means heron - and in standard Polish is written 'Czapla' and pronounced 'Chahplah'

UK, Ireland / Can I buy Papierówki apples in the UK? [11]


there is also another way to have them - it's to buy a papierówka seedling and to plant it somewhere you can (like in your garden) - you have to remember however that this kind of the apple tree can grow pretty big (if you just let it) - it can hardly be compared to those typical commercial orchard apple trees

UK, Ireland / Can I buy Papierówki apples in the UK? [11]

these are the very seasonal apples - they tend to rippen very early - like early middle July - and they do not preserve well (only a couple of weeks) - but man they are tasty (and the fragrance) - there is no way you can have these apples in British shops or on British markets - if you really want to have them you need to organise a private import from Poland and as said earlier only in the season - they are completely seasonal in Poland too - an apple pie with papierówki is simply delicious