Poland Polen by a foreigner living in Poland

Prussian Claims Society want their Property in Poland back.

2006-12-20T19:30:00.000+01:00

Some German - Polish news:

Germans file WWII claims against Poland

BERLIN - A group of Germans kicked out of Poland after World War II want restitution for lost property, arguing in a complaint that their human rights were violated when Eastern Europe's boundaries were redrawn and they were driven from their homes. The case has put fresh strains on German-Polish ties — a relationship still troubled by painful memories of Nazi brutalities.The Prussian Claims Society complaint filed with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg in November stems from territorial rearrangements reached after the war by the victorious Allies — the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union — at the 1945 Potsdam conference.The Potsdam agreement gave large parts of eastern Germany to Poland, and the Germans living there were forced to leave. Large parts of eastern Poland ultimately went to the Soviet Union."The expulsion of the German population, according to some international legal experts, amounted to genocide, or at least to crimes against humanity with the purpose of dispossessing them of property without any compensation," the Prussian Claims Society said Friday.The group — which represents about 1,000 people, a small number compared to the 2.5 million Germans expelled from Poland — has filed 22 individual complaints and eventually plans as many as 50, said its deputy leader, Gerwald Stanko.The campaign has been a focus of public debate in Poland, which Nazi Germany invaded in 1939 at the start of World War II and subjected to a brutal occupation. Some 6 million Poles — about half of them Jewish — were killed in the war, often in concentration camps like Auschwitz and Treblinka that the Nazis set up in occupied Poland."I see filing the claims as a highly immoral action," said Krzysztof Zwierzynski, a 55-year-old scientist in Warsaw. "The balance of losses is obvious. The Germans inflicted such losses and damage that they should not dare demand anything from Poland."It's a stance that has the full agreement of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her predecessor Gerhard Schroeder, both of whom have spoken out against the drive by the Prussian Claims Society.In 2004, a joint Polish-German commission ruled that there was no legal foundation for claims by Germans to property in today's Poland.Nonetheless, the cause still provokes anger in Poland, coming amid general German interest in examining the pain their nation suffered during the heavy Allied bombardment of German cities or in the vengeance inflicted on the 12.5 million Germans driven from Eastern Europe after the war.That amounts to a change from the long-standing tendency to focus exclusively on German crimes — and a development Poles fear could be a first step in a rewriting of history that would lessen German responsibility for the destruction inflicted on Poland.Polish President Lech Kaczynski said the legal move would "initiate some very dangerous processes.""I also express hope that the court in Strasbourg will adopt the right stance on the claims," Kaczynski told journalists during a visit to Brussels. ...

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Some 14 million Germans fled or were expelled, often extremely brutally, from their homes in eastern Europe from 1944 as the Soviet Red Army advanced and Germany's Nazi Third Reich crumbled. More than half of them lived in what is now Poland.

Jesus to be King of Poland!

2006-12-20T19:22:00.000+01:00

Jesus - Newly Proposed King of Poland

My intended just told me that she just heard on the radio that the PiS/LPR government want to make Jesus Christ the King of Poland. There is to be a vote in the Polish Parliment soon!

What a bunch of clowns ...

I'd love to hear comments from visitors about this new development.

Cruelty to Carp in Poland

2006-12-20T19:17:00.000+01:00

Visit any supermarket or town centre in Poland and you'll see large tubs of live Carp gasping for air. These fish are often cut, wounded and basically near the end. Customers then buy them and take these still living carp home in plastic carrier bags and keep them in smaller containers until Christmas Eve. They are then taken out and killed.

In my view the the practice of selling of live carp for killing at a later date should be banned in Poland and throughout the EU. This is a sick practice, which the EU should not be paying to promote., which it is currently doing via a television campaign on Polish tv.

This money given by the EU for Polish Carp television advertising campaigns should be immediately halted. Watch Polish television now and you are almost certain to see a ridiculous advertisement for "eating Pan (Mr) Carp this Christmas", followed by a sponsored by the EU logo. I have never seen such a complete waste of EU taxpayers money ...

How to read more of my thoughts about Poland :-)

2006-12-13T00:03:00.000+01:00

Sorry - I have been too busy of late to update this blog very often. Visit the Poland and Polish forum link on this page to read my thoughts on a more regular basis. I drop by there every day or two.

Spitting and Poland!

2006-12-13T00:00:00.000+01:00

One of the things that annoys me most about Poland is the common habit that Polish men have of spitting on the floor! Has anyone else ever noticed this?

Polish Lessons

2006-10-21T22:33:00.000+02:00

Today I had my last private Polish lesson. I can now say most of what I want to say using completely ungrammatical BUT COMMUNICATIVE Polish. This is not the fault of my Polish teacher, who is/was very professional, but I looked at Polish grammar and at early stage took the decision to concentrate on vocabulary. Polish grammar would appear to be horrendously complicated.

I'll continue picking up more Polish, but, in an informal way through contact with my Polish fiancee, her family, and people in shops, etc.

Did I mention that I got engaged recently ...

Poles and Photography

2006-09-27T11:20:00.000+02:00

I've noticed that whenever I seem to take my camera out and take photos in Poland that some middle aged, craggy, fish smelling, badly dressed, Polish woman smoking a cigarette will appear and start shouting about not taking photos!

The last time this happened I walked right up to the tracksuit wearing unwashed hag (and her three grinning female companions) and said with a nice smile (in English) that "I don't understand you you ugly old witch, so why don't you just crawl off back under the dungheep from which you have just emerged". I was a little annoyed at being shouted at in the street by some peasant woman for no reason . She then proudly responded in extremely broken but loud German that she speaks German. The Polish fish woman and her three friends then started to laugh and giggle. Delighted I told her exactly the same thing in German (again with a smile). This time adding something extra about polyester not being a good choice in hot weather and the need for her and her companions to have a wash now and again. Bizarrely she didn't understand any of this either and started to again shout in Polish. I laughed at her and walked away making sure I stopped every few steps to take another photo. They followed me for about 500 m until I got in my car and drove away.

As far as I can tell there are three possible explanations:

- these Polish peasants still believe they are living in some sort of communist police state.

- they are ashamed of the way they look and concerned that they might possible stray into one of my photos.

- they wanted to bed me and used aggression to approach and hopefully entice me to flirt with them.

Do readers have any other explanations? Suggestions for dealing with these women :-) ?

Discuss Poland in English

2006-08-30T18:00:00.000+02:00

I spend some of my free time discussing Poland and Polish news on the excellent Polish Poland forum with a range of Polish Americans, German and British expats living or thinking of living in Poland, and Poles. If you have an interest in either Polish or Poland why not join one of our varied discussions.

A New and Exciting Relationship!

2006-08-15T16:28:00.000+02:00

I now have a new Polish girlfriend. Nine years younger than myself, Polish, and very, very nice :-) We communicate entirely in English. Her German isn't too good. And my Polish is nowhere! Watch this space.

Polish attitudes to Germans

2006-08-09T10:55:00.000+02:00

A question - why is it that Poles are still obsessed by what happened 60 years ago or more? Just because someone might be German it doesn't follow that person is a Nazi. Most Poles I've met don't seem to be able to understand this. I wonder if the education system in Poland might be to blame ...

Corruption in Poland

2006-06-26T18:39:00.000+02:00

There are many stories in the media concerning corruption in Poland. The latest corruption scandal involves the arrest of a group of archaeologists who it is alleged took bribes in connection with EU funded road construction projects. The present government in Poland has stated that it plans to eradicate the problem and were indeed elected on this anti-corruption platform. I wonder what progress they will make?

Survey shows that Poles prefer communist times!

2006-06-21T23:26:00.000+02:00

A recent survey quoted in the Economist magazine has shown that the majority of Poles preferred their lives prior to 1989 to now! Poles now have bananas, western designer labels, and high quality electronic goods in their shops, Tesco hypermarkets, good roads, and many people seem to drive around in good or fairly good cars. What more could this majority of Poles want from life? Answers please!

Poland: land of bad driving and road deaths

2006-06-19T00:19:00.000+02:00

Has anyone who has ever been to Poland ever noticed that Poland has many useless and dangerous drivers. Next time you are there just watch how the sportswear-clad shitheads in old black BMWs, Mercedes and Audis drive. It's no wonder Poland is covered with roadside crosses marking the places where people will killed in road accidents. Without a doubt, Poland has to be the worst country in Europe to drive a car.

Corpus Christi Festival in Poland

2006-06-17T00:48:00.000+02:00

Yesterday throughout Poland many thousands of good Polish Catholics took part in Corpus Christi / Body of Christ processions through the streets of towns and villages all over Poland. Lagow was no different. I was stuck in a traffic jam while they did their thing with the Priest. Unfortunately, I don't know much more about the celebrations. Maybe somebody could enlighten me.

Picture of the Polish lakes in Lubuskie

2006-06-15T13:14:00.000+02:00

This picture shows part of the lakes in Lagow. Nearby there are many such lakes, most pretty undeveloped in terms of tourism. My favorite two lakes are here in Lagow and in the nearby town of Lubniewice. Both locations are great for anyone looking for a holiday away from the usual Polish tourist spots, such as the Baltic coast, Mazury, Krakow, Zakopane, or Warsaw.

Polish women

2006-06-15T12:00:00.000+02:00

I've yet to settle down with that one special woman, so I spend a fair bit of time looking around at women on my travels through Germany and Poland. Many of whom I find rather attractive. In the past I've had brief affairs with two Polish women and have to say that there didn't seem to be any real difference between them and the average German woman. However, despite possible language and cultural problems, on the whole I tend to think that a Polish woman would make a better wife and mother of children than a German one. More traditional, different experiences, etc. I wonder how many of the attractive polish women speak either German or English? The next time I see a pretty hitch-hiker I'll pick her up and test this out :-) More about the woman in the photo. She isn't Polish, but ...!

Something about my new home in Lubuskie, Polen

2006-06-15T11:05:00.000+02:00

Lagow, is one of the most beautiful and picturesque places in Western Poland. The Lubuski area is located near the main E-30 highway, halfway between Poznan and Berlin. Just one hour and a half hours drive from Berlin, you will find Lagow nestling among thousands of hectares of old beech forests. A stunning feature on the hilltop is a 14th century Castle with a renaissance courtyard. The castle is now a hotel and has a fine restaurant and coffee shop. The tower is a great vantage point for magnificent views, especially of the surrounding park where the two great lakes meet. You will be amazed by the unique crystal clear water of the two large lakes, which is surrounded by lush, unspoilt greenery. The province of Lubuskie is the most densely forested area in Poland. There is an abundance of wild mushrooms (mushroom picking is a popular Polish pastime), wild berries and strawberries. There are wild boar, deer and in fact it is one of the few places in the world where wild bison still roam. Lubuskie is also a bird lovers paradise. Black storks, white storks, water birds, white tailed eagles, black woodpeckers, and corncrakes can all be seen in the area. The lakes are teeming with fresh water fish including prize-winning carp and catfish. The nearby River Obra even has a legend about a giant dog-eating catfish! Fishing is very popular and unrestricted. You can swim in the lakes, hire canoes, rowing boats, and bicycles or simply sunbathe on the beach. In Lagow you can savour delicious Polish Cuisine, from a traditional banquet of wild boar and venison at the historical castle to traditional home cooking (such as pierogi ruskie with fried onions) in one of the many good restaurants in the Lubuskie Lakes region. During the summer and at special occasions throughout the year, one can enjoy classical concerts, craft markets as well as the numerous cafes and restaurants. Lagow also hosts a film festival every June. Lubuskie makes a perfect place to chill-out, or for a vacation with a difference. Lagow with all its charm and natural beauty can offer you a real Polish experience with luxurious and different accommodation at ‘Polish prices’. The peaceful, soothing colours of beech forests and the crystal clear water of the lakes will allow you to forget the hustle and bustle of the city. Nearby cities with interesting shops, cinemas, and lots of people, other than Berlin, include the German border city of Frankfurt Oder and the Polish cities of Gorzow Wlkp., Zielona Gora, and Poznan. Just north of Lagow is the equally picturesque, unspoilt and tourist-friendly lakeside town of Lubniewice.

Germany v Poland

2006-06-14T14:47:00.000+02:00

This evening Poland play Germany in their second match of the football World Cup. My prediction: a 3 - 1 win for Germany. The German side is not as strong as it once was, but the Polish team is one of the weakest and uninspired sides I have ever seen play football. People all over Poland see the result of this match as of utmost importance.

Poland and Schengen open borders

2006-06-14T12:09:00.000+02:00

I heard that the Polish government thinks that it will join the Schengen Agreement next year. Being accepted into the Schengen Agreement will mean no border controls for Polish citizens within the EU and on borders between Poland and other EU member states, such as the Polish/German border. Importantly for me I won't have to queue up at the border when travelling from my home in Berlin to my second home just over the border in Poland. In return, Poland willl have to guarantee the security of its border with non-EU states such as Russia, Belarus and Ukraine. Right now the border is weak to saythe least and is an easy obstacle from illegal immigrants from eastern Europe and asians looking to get to Germany and western europe.

Introduction to Poland Polen

2006-06-13T17:46:00.000+02:00

Welcome to my new page about my life as a foreign resident of Poland. I have just purchased a small property in the Lubuskie Lake District in the far west of Poland. It's both as an investment and also as a sort of retreat from the city. The area was part of Germany until the border changes at the end of the Second World War. My permanent home is in Berlin, Germany - about one and a half hours drive from my new home in the Polish province of Lubuskie. I will use this page to post my observations about news from Poland and life in general in Poland. I welcome comments from readers with any opinion.