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Posts by Palivec  

Joined: 22 Apr 2011 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 18 Sep 2014
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Posts: 379

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Palivec   
13 Jul 2011
History / Polabia back to Slavs? [113]

To my certain knowledge, the Poles, even at their worst, e.g. Gen'l. Rydź-Smigły et al., NEVER once invoked the barbarism of their pagan roots as proof of their right to be inheritors of all Europe, even the entire world!

And yet this forum is full of threads about the Polishness of regions which were part of medieval Poland long ago... or *never*, 19th century race theories and stupid phantasies about "re-taking" of "Slavic" or "Polish" land. Sounds like 19th century Germany to me, especially since you can't get this land peacefully.
Palivec   
14 Jul 2011
History / Polabia back to Slavs? [113]

no, I mean that - we are a barbaric nation - I am very much barbaric myself - I do not condemn those who removed gravestones from old German cemeteries in fact I know plenty of such examples - many such cemeteries have even never been used ever since - I wouldn't do that myself now in my state of mind but I don't condemn these people - I just don't care much about German past of the land I live about

And that's the problem of these regions. No one cares. And that's how these regions look today. Silesia for instance could be a top tourist destination in Europe, but no one cares. Bad luck for the people outside of the economic centres, but as long as they don't care for their home anyway...?!

And some people want Polabia "back"? Seriously? How would a Polish Wittenberg, the centre of the Protestant reformation, look today? Or Sanssouci, Prussias heart? I suppose the "Fuerstenzug" in Drezno wouldn't exist anymore... at least the names of the Saxon rulers would have been removed or changed to something like "Jan Jerzy Wettyn". Would Berlins graveyards, with people like Scharnhorst, Hegel, Schinkel or Fichte, still exist? Experience says no.
Palivec   
14 Jul 2011
History / Polabia back to Slavs? [113]

hardly - it is true that the lack of the connection between the populace and the reamining material culture left by German inhabitants plays a role here (among many other things) - but you are much overestimating the atractiveness of the area now - maybe the Sudetes can attract more tourists but not much else in Silesia

Silesia was the most popular tourist destination in German times, before Bavaria and the sea. Hardly no one knows this anymore. The region has the biggest number of castles and stately homes in Europe, and Jelenia Gora valley with its huge number of (royal) castles and parks was once compared to the landscape around Potsdam (Sanssouci), a world heritage site. Along the Sudetes you can find lots of spa towns and preserved villages (but for how long?). Almost every village and town had a Catholic and a Protestant town, something very unique in Europe.

Tourism could be big there, but castles must be reconstructed, parks must be restored, trails in the mountains must be rebuild, a spa culture must be reestablished... this needs many active people who identify with the region.
Palivec   
14 Jul 2011
History / Polabia back to Slavs? [113]

you are mixing things pal - Silesia loses just as much of its appeal to German tourists by the sheer fact it is not German anymore and Poles live there - I am not against the concept that some areas could try to rehash the German culture so that they can attract German tourists (I wouldn't count on tourist from other countries that much in this endavour)

Actually I was talking about tourist from everywhere, not only Germany. Have you ever looked into a book about prewar Silesia? Jelenia Gora valley could be a world heritage site and attract people from all over the world! It once looked like a second version of Sanssouci... 40 castles, several large, connected parks, a spa town and a medieval town (sadly destroyed), lots of villages with a very distinctive architecture (even from Tyrol!), the Sudetes in the background... it must have been amazing.
Palivec   
15 Jul 2011
History / Polabia back to Slavs? [113]

True, yet native Italians, and conversely Austrian tourists, have all told me in Suedtirol EVERYBODY actually speaks as well as understands fluent Italian, switching then to excellent German, almost as though it were their Austrian-German mother tongue, the intonation, slang etc...

Actually only the German speaking population of Suedtirol speaks German and Italian, while the local Italian population, which mainly lives in the few big cities, only speaks Italian.
Palivec   
15 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

Excuse me but I still dodn't get the answer what's a trademark of German cuisine. In Poland people associate German cuisine with a leg of pork with a beer - nothing sophisticated, typically razzle-dazzle kind of dish. Austrian cuisine is a different story though.
So what kind of dish would you suggest me if I ever were to visit a German restaurant?

German cuisine is a bad as Polish, Dutch or Skandinavian... simply the wrong latitude for good food.
If you want something German stick to bread, sausages and cakes, everything else sucks, so the best tip is to go to a bakery.
In a restaurant you should try "Rouladen" and Thuringian dumplings (Kloesse), a simple Schnitzel and Bratkartoffeln (home fries) or Bauernfrühstück (better version of Bratkartoffeln). There are some good, sophisticated dishes, like Leipziger Allerlei, but in America you don't get them anyway.
Palivec   
15 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

They have goulash,veprovy ryzek and svickovou.Typical knedli a zeli.

The Czech cuisine is closely related to the Bavarian and Austrian cuisine. Bavarian is more hearty (but not better), while the Austrian cuisine is more sophisticated and offers better cakes and sweets. Austrian is probably the best in Central Europe, since influences from Hungary, Czechland and the Balkan enriched the cuisine.
Palivec   
15 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

But compared to most other mediterranean cuisines Greek cuisine is really the worst. Don't get me wrong, still 1000x better and healthier than everything from Central Europe, but the Greek cuisine is a cuisine of the simple folks, while the Italian, French, but also Spanish cuisine is more sophisticated, simply since their societies were more sophisticated too (apart from classical Greece of course).
Palivec   
16 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

Again: which cuisine from the same latitude is good? Russian? German? Dutch? English? Scottish? Even Belgian cuisine isn't great. It can't be good, since the choice of spices was low and people needed many calories, that's why all these cuisines use lots of meat. BUT: some of these countries excel in other parts: bread, sausages, cakes and sweets, beer or cookies for instance. All mediterranean countries suck at it.
Palivec   
16 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

I agree about cakes and sweets(which are also delicious in Germany) but I disagree about food.Czech and hungarian food tastes better than austrian and it is sth many tourists want to taste(it is considered an asset in these countries).

And what order these tourists in Czechia? Goulash, knedlik and a beer. Anything else? Maybe Svíèková and Vepřová peèeně, and that's about it. Go to Prague and you have problems to find a restaurant with Bohemian/Czech food these days, they all sell international cuisine. Hungarian cuisine is good, no doubt, but repetitive. Paprika, sour cream and meat. But they have great cakes, unlike the Czechs.

No, trust me, where Bohemian, Hungarian and German cuisine mixed, in Vienna, you find the most interesting cuisine. The goulash you usually associate with Czechia comes from Vienna for instance. And the Austrians know at least 7 different types of goulash... tourists just don't know this.
Palivec   
16 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

There are very good greek sweats with syrup

Not really, sorry. ;)
When I'm on holiday I usually eat where the locals eat, and while Baklava, Galakto... ehh, -something or Lokma (don't know the Greek name) are quite good, mediterranean countries just can't compete with the dairy farming countries of the north when it comes to sweets.
Palivec   
16 Jul 2011
Travel / How welcoming is Poland for an American visitor? And great places to visit. [43]

If you' are interested in the country people will be helpful and friendly. If you wonder why people don't speak english and you always look for the next McDonalds... well, then not. But that's the same everywhere. Lean a few useful phrases, try some local food, be interested, and people like you.
Palivec   
17 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

I think its ignorance, people simply arent aware of what Polish food is, many would assume Polish food means loads of cabbage, pierogi and sausage. Its so much more and mostly untainted by all the crap you expect these days.

The Polonia is one of the largest diasporas in the world. You have to ask yourself why one of the largest diasporas failed so miserably to make their food popular, unlike many other diasporas.

In Europe it's pretty simple. People prefer a healthier, lighter cuisine these days, that's why mediterranean food is so popular. Interestingly Polish food is absolutely unknown in Europe, despite the huge Polonia in Germany.
Palivec   
17 Jul 2011
USA, Canada / Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? [698]

Could it be because it's very labour-intensive?
Just thinking about it now - it doesn't have the sex appeal of French food, yet it's difficult to produce quickly.

It's not more labour-intensive than other cuisines. Even such a simple dish as pizza is a pretty labour-intensive affair... I know it. ;)

Yep, totally unkwown - probably because there's not actually much difference between German and Polish food.
(speaking of which : is there such a thing as a German restaurant outside of Germany?)

I don't know, and I don't think Germans care about it, since they know that their cuisine sucks anyway (except bread, cakes, sausages and beer). The most popular German fast food is Turkish... says it all. :D
Palivec   
18 Jul 2011
History / Norman Davies - the Brit who loves Poland and becomes one of Us [250]

Still Davies looks like a great Polish patriot when compared to the alleged "expert" on things Polish - the Polonophobic Timothy Garton Ash of The Guardian....
:)

Patriots shouldn't write scientific books. And Ash is a Germanophile, but hardly Polonophobic. Otherwise you could also say Davies is Germanophob, but, like Ash with Poland, he just has no clue about the western neighbour. Most obvious in his book about Wroclaw btw., which is ridiculously bad.
Palivec   
19 Jul 2011
Feedback / Why are there so many on here, who do not like Poland [150]

Why are there so many on here, who do not like Poland, and of the many, many of those have never even been to Poland.

Counterquestion: why does Polandball exist? Maybe this gives you the answer.
BTW: most "Poles" here never visited the country.
Palivec   
19 Jul 2011
Feedback / Why are there so many on here, who do not like Poland [150]

For the same reason for which other racist, hateful, stereotype spreading cartoons
existed throughout history. They are also made by the same type of people.

Hardly. Polandball was created by some apolitical kiddies that were annoyed by the same reason many people annoyed by Poles: Poles try to teach the world about Poland in a almost messianic way, they paint the country in the most glorious colors while blaming everyone else for their failings. And they can't handle critique and are easily offended. That's why Polandball became so successful, unlike all other *balls.

You're quite fond of Polandball cartoons, Palivec, aren't you?

Yes, and I can even enjoy the ones about my own countries, since most of them are true. :D
Palivec   
20 Jul 2011
Travel / Traveling around Poland - our photo stories with very personal commentary [225]

I had thought that at least the Old Town had been reconstructed in the pre-war shape. Imagine my disgust when, standing in the Main Square, I could see those banal socialist blocks of flats next to it. Oh, my God.

No, contrary to popular belief there was propably more destruction than reconstruction. There is no doubt that the Commies invested huge sums to reconstruct *parts* of the old town, but this was mainly Ostrów Tumski and the market square. But even there you can't see the pre-war shape. Ostrów Tumski and the churches were Polonized, the market square was de-Prussified. The eastern part of the old town was leveled to win bricks for Warsaw. Other parts were removed to built the ring road which cuts through the old town.
Palivec   
21 Jul 2011
Travel / Traveling around Poland - our photo stories with very personal commentary [225]

The first house looks like late 18th/early 19th century = Prussian classicism. The second one wasn't such a big loss if you ask me.

BTW.: the biggest loss of the 70s was the Prussian wing of the castle, which survived the war in relatively good condition.

And the more you read about the time after '45 the more you realize that the city had quite a bit to endure then too. Many people for instance think the churches were always that empty, but, if the church wasn't compeletey destroyed anyway, the Commies deliberately stripped them from all decorations to make them appear medieval, i.e. "Polish".

Did you know, for instance, that the chor of the cathedral looked like this:

All baroque decorations, from the choir screen for example, are gone today.
Palivec   
21 Jul 2011
History / Polish historical myths - to break or not to break them? [257]

Hmm, strange story about the Winged Hussars. I tend to doubt Pawians story. BUT: when you look at the Wiki entry
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_hussars

you notice that no claim there is supported by sources... which is pretty strange. And no contemporary painting you see on Wiki shows Winged Hussars in a battle. Really strange.
Palivec   
21 Jul 2011
Travel / Traveling around Poland - our photo stories with very personal commentary [225]

Taking into consideration, that most of these funds were generated by the Germans, there is not too much to thank, as previously they totally destroyed our country and deported en masse during the war, Polish citizens to work as slavery workers in Germany ,I consider it as form of compensation , it is better late than never.:):):) .

What is the property of 9 million Silesian, Pomeranian and East Prussian Germans for you?
Palivec   
23 Jul 2011
Life / Polish and Czechs [190]

Czechs don't have any sizeable minority anymore, the poll is about people they don't know anyway. I mean... Jews? Really? The only Jews in Czechia are Americans in Prague.

And actual contacts between Czechs and Poles are pretty sparse, despite all this pan-Slavic bullshit. It gets better, but these contacts don't develop because of Slavic ties but because both countries are part of the EU and all cross-border initiatives get heavily subsidised.
Palivec   
23 Jul 2011
Life / Polish and Czechs [190]

I don't think that applies to Poles though.

But I can't remember seeing many Czechs in Poland, to be honest.
And the contacts in Commie times were totally different. Sure, there was some border traffic, mainly by tourists, but now the EU forces real cooperation, which was totally unknown back then. Local councils now have to work together and even hold joint meetings, schools switch pupils and teachers, kindergarden children meet, associations share work and so on. This is new.
Palivec   
23 Jul 2011
Travel / Traveling around Poland - our photo stories with very personal commentary [225]

The public sphere is "polluted" by graffity, but even more by adverts, all over Poland. To me it looks horrible to see all these ugly, cheap adverts everywhere. But it looks like the authorities can't issue and enforce proper regulations, or they don't want, I don't know.

And you can expand your observation about the foreigners of Wrocław to all "recovered territories". Poor Eastern Poland looks far neater than much richer Silesia for example, which is tragic, since the western territories are culturally far more precious.