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Żołnierze wyklęci cz. 1 przekazania "Testamentu żołnierzy i obywateli Polskiego Państwa Podziemnego" reprezentantom młodego pokolenia Polaków
Żołnierze wyklęci cz. 1 przekazania "Testamentu żołnierzy i obywateli Polskiego Państwa Podziemnego" reprezentantom młodego pokolenia Polaków
Pierwsza część uroczystości przekazania "Testamentu żołnierzy i obywateli Polskiego Państwa Podziemnego" reprezentantom młodego pokolenia Polaków, jaka odbyła się na dziedzińcu Pałacu Prezydenckiego 27 września 2009 roku
Partyzanci 3 kompanii por. Henryka Głowińskiego "Groźnego" ze zgrupowania mjr. Józefa Kurasia "Ognia". "Groźny", stoi trzeci z lewej, za nim stoi Antoni Wąsowicz "Roch".
Oddział "Rocha", czyli pozostałości 3 kompanii zgrupowania "Ognia" był oddziałem, który kontynuując podziemną działalność postanowił także zastosować represje wobec ujawniających się "ogniowców". Najbardziej znaną tego typu akcją był zamach na Bogusława Szokalskiego "Herkulesa", byłego adiutanta „Ognia”, oraz na jego narzeczoną Albinę Zborowską „Baśkę”, do którego doszło 23 marca 1947 r. W jego wyniku Zborowska została zastrzelona, a Szokalski ciężko ranny. Powodem zamachu na te osoby był nie tylko fakt ich ujawnienia wobec władz, ale także przypuszczenia, że podjęli oni jeszcze za życia „Ognia” współpracę z UB1.
Zaznaczyć należy, że podziemie funkcjonowało wówczas w bardzo trudnych warunkach, gdyż współpracujący dotychczas z partyzantami górale, czyli tzw. „terenówka bandy”, jak określali to funkcjonariusze UB, w dużej części także postanowili skorzystać z amnestii. Sytuacja w Gorcach była na tyle niesprzyjająca dalszej działalności, że dowodzący 3 kompanią Antoni Wąsowicz „Roch” razem z jeszcze dwoma innymi „ogniowcami” (Adamem Domalikiem i Edwardem Superganem) postanowił przerwać walkę i przez Czechosłowację i Austrię przedostać się na Zachód. Partyzanci zaopatrzeni w broń krótką i granaty 7 maja opuścili Polskę. Niestety, próba ta zakończyła się niepowodzeniem i aresztowaniem całej trójki na terenie Austrii 12 maja 1947 r. Antoni Wąsowicz i Adam Domalik zostali następnie przekazani władzom polskim i na mocy wyroku Wojskowego Sądu Rejonowego w Krakowie skazani na karę śmierci, którą wykonano 24 lutego 1948 r. Supergan uratował życie, ale trafił na wiele lat do więzienia.
Oddział "Wiarusy" w 1947 r. - pierwszy z lewej dowódca Józef Świder "Mściciel", drugi z-ca dowódcy Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny", za nim Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz". Klęczy od lewej Adam Półtorak "Wicher", N.N.
Wiarusy 1947 r. Od lewej: Adam Półtorak "Wicher", N.N., Adam Papież, Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz", Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny".
Wiarusy 1947 r. Od lewej: Adam Półtorak "Wicher", Adam Papież, Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz", Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny", N.N.
Klęczy Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny", przy rkm-ie leży Mieczysława Łysek "Grandziarz".
W Gorcach pozostała zaledwie kilkuosobowa grupa partyzantów, na czele z Józefem Świdrem „Pucułą”, który po objęciu nad nią dowództwa zmienił swój pseudonim na „Mściciel”. Dwudziestoletni Świder, dotychczas szeregowy żołnierz 3 kompanii, okazał się być dobrym organizatorem – oddział oficjalnie już działający pod nazwą „Wiarusy” rozbudował do stanu kilkunastoosobowego, wzmocnił też sieć współpracowników i informatorów grupy. W obawie przed stale narastającymi represjami UB z powrotem w góry trafiali kolejni byli żołnierze „Ognia”. Głośnym echem odbiła się w tym czasie sprawa śmierci ujawnionego partyzanta Kazimierza Białońskiego „Rudego”, którego zastrzelono w jednej z zakopiańskich restauracji.
Do lasu uciekano więc z jednej strony nie chcąc trafić do więzienia, a z drugiej w obawie o własne życie. „Wiarusy” pod dowództwem „Mściciela” działali aż do 18 lutego 1948 r., kiedy to Józef Świder zginął w potyczce z UB w Lubniu, a pochwycony wówczas Marian Kozłecki „Grzmot” poprowadził 20 lutego obławę na leśny obóz oddziału, którym była ziemianka położona między Harklową a Ochotnicą.
Fotografia Józefa Świdra „Mściciela” zastrzelonego przez UB w walce 18 lutego 1948 r., wraz z opisem sporządzonym przez bezpiekę.
Po tych wydarzeniach grupę scalił na nowo Tadeusz Dymel „Srebrny”, nie należący wcześniej do zgrupowania „Ognia”. Oddział liczył około 10 osób, nie posiadał stałej bazy, korzystając przede wszystkim z gościnności gorczańskich górali. W lipcu 1948 r. doszło do niejasnego do dzisiaj podziału w obrębie grupy. Według opinii oficerów UB miał on nastąpić na tle okupacyjnej przeszłości „Srebrnego”. Był on bowiem w 1947 r. oskarżony o to, że w czasie wojny współpracował z Gestapo (tajną niemiecką policją państwową) w Nowym Sączu. Nie został jednak osądzony, gdyż uciekł z rozprawy i wraz ze swoim szwagrem Edwardem Skórnógiem dołączył do dowodzonego przez „Mściciela” oddziału „Wiarusy”. Jak dotąd nie udało się w pełni ani potwierdzić, ani obalić tezy o współpracy Dymela z Niemcami2.
Po podziale przy „Srebrnym” pozostali: Stanisław Ludzia „Dzielny”, „Harnaś” (ujawniony w 1947 r. były adiutant „Ognia”), Edward Skórnóg „Szatan” oraz Mieczysław Łysek „Grandziarz”.
Odeszli natomiast bracia Samborscy – Kajetan „Lot”, „Teściowa” i Stanisław „Bratek”, „Duch”, Zbigniew Zarębski „Kanciarz” oraz Henryk Machała „Jaksa”, „Gryf”. Na czele grupy stanął „Teściowa”, a oddział przyjął nazwę „Zorza”. Nie działał jednak długo, gdyż już w październiku 1948 r. zawiesił akcje zbrojne, a broń ukrył u Józefa Kościelniaka w Rabce. Partyzanci wyposażeni tylko w pistolety i granaty udali się do Bielska, gdzie zamierzali przeczekać niesprzyjający walce w górach okres zimowy. Podczas podróży pociągiem zostali jednak zdemaskowani: na stacji w Wadowicach wywiązała się strzelanina, podczas której śmierć ponieśli dwaj cywile i milicjant. Zdarzenie to skłoniło Kajetana Samborskiego do zmiany planów. Podjął on mianowicie decyzje o przedostaniu się przez „zieloną granicę” do amerykańskiej strefy okupacyjnej. Wyprawa miała miejsce w listopadzie 1948 r. i zakończyła się niepowodzeniem.
Od lewej: ps. "Saper", Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz", Stanisław Ludzia "Harnaś".
Już na terenie Czechosłowacji „Teściowa” i „Kanciarz” zginęli zastrzeleni przez funkcjonariuszy tamtejszej bezpieki. Lekko ranny Stanisław Samborski „Bratek” został wydany władzom polskim i po śledztwie skazany na śmierć. Henryk Machała „Gryf”, który nie brał udziału w wyjeździe, powrócił w Gorce do „Wiarusów”, którymi po śmierci „Srebrnego” w październiku 1948 r. dowodził już Stanisław Ludzia „Harnaś”.
W ten sposób połączona grupa, powiększona o Jana Jankowskiego „Groźnego”, Leona Zagatę „Złoma”, a później także Stanisława Janczego „Pruta”, działała aż do ostatecznego rozbicia w lipcu 1949 r.
Jan Jankowski "Groźny", partyzant oddziału "Wiarusy", stracony przez komunistów 12 I 1950 r.
Henryk Machała "Gryf", partyzant oddziału "Wiarusy", stracony przez komunistów 12 I 1950 r.
Rozbicie oddziału partyzanckiego „Wiarusy” nastręczało bezpiece bardzo wiele trudności. Akcje prowadzone nieprzerwanie od 1947 r. tylko okresowo wpływały na dezorganizacje działalności grupy, nie mogły jednak doprowadzić do jej zupełnego unieszkodliwienia. Oddział pomimo tego, że tracił swoich najbardziej doświadczonych żołnierzy, także dowódców (Józef Świder, Dymitr Zasulski, Tadeusz Dymel), istniał dalej i zdolny był do prowadzenia działań bojowych na terenie całego powiatu nowotarskiego. Znamiennym jest fakt, że największym sukcesem UB było rozbicie „Zorzy” w 1948 r., a więc akcja sprowokowana tak naprawdę przez samych partyzantów, którzy opuścili góry i próbowali przedostać się na Zachód. Od tego momentu wzmogły się także obławy i aresztowania na samym Podhalu, na co niemały wpływ miały zeznania członków „Zorzy”: Stanisława Samborskiego „Orlika” oraz Bronisławy Zarębskiej (Luschanek). Pomimo intensywnych poszukiwań nie udało się jednak wytropić ukrywających się w swoich „melinach” żołnierzy podziemia, nad którymi z początkiem 1949 r. dowództwo objął Stanisław Ludzia „Harnaś”.
Na pierwszym planie (z lewej) stoi Stanisław Ludzia "Harnaś".
Pomimo niepowodzeń powstawały kolejne plany rozbicia „Wiarusów”. Początkowo dążono do ujęcia partyzantów poprzez system kontrolowanych przez agenturę i współpracowników UB „bezpiecznych kryjówek”. Nie doceniono jednak faktu, że oddział posiadał cały szereg zaufanych ludzi, którzy nie byli przez UB rozpracowani, a pełnili funkcję informatorów, zapewniając także partyzantom kwaterunek. Wiosną 1949 r. oddział wyszedł z ukrycia i wznowił działalność, przeprowadzając szereg akcji rekwizycyjnych oraz wymierzonych we współpracowników nowej władzy (m.in. zarekwirowano towary w spółdzielni w Nowej Białej 1 kwietnia 1949 r.).
Pieczęć „Wiarusów" – III Kompania AK.
Skłoniło to funkcjonariuszy do opracowania nowego sposobu likwidacji grupy – tym razem przez wprowadzenie do niej agenta. Próba taka miała miejsce już rok wcześniej w maju 1948 r., kiedy to do „Wiarusów” dołączył Franciszek Mierwa „Łosoś” z Długopola, były partyzant ze zgrupowania „Ognia”, którego dwa miesiące wcześniej bezpieka skłoniła do współpracy. Przyjął on wówczas pseudonim „Wiśniewski”. Miał on za zadanie wejść w skład oddziału, zyskać zaufanie dowódcy, a następnie skłonić go do udania się w rejon Długopola, gdzie przygotowana była już przez UB zasadzka. Plan ten nie powiódł się, przede wszystkim dlatego, że Mierwa będąc w oddziale i przemieszczając się wraz z nim, nie miał dostatecznej możliwości informowania UB o ruchach grupy, nie był też w stanie skłonić „Srebrnego” do przejścia w rejon Długopola. Mimo to, dzięki jego staraniom udało się ustalić szereg współpracowników oddziału, a także aresztować jej nowego członka – Franciszka Szeligę. 14 lipca 1948 r. donosił on m.in. o przejściu „Wiarusów” przez Ochotnicę Dolną, później jednak utracił z partyzantami kontakt i powrócił do Długopola. Tam od 1949 r. ukrywał się zarówno przed „Wiarusami”, jak i przed UB. Władze zlokalizowały jego miejsce zamieszkania dopiero w 1951 r.
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1. Według dostępnych autorowi materiałów ani Szokalski, ani Zborowska nie współpracowali z bezpieką. Z końcem 1946 r. zostali wysłani przez Kurasia na Ziemie Zachodnie, skąd wrócili dopiero po ogłoszeniu amnestii w lutym 1947 r. Według niepotwierdzonych opinii niektórych członków Zgrupowania „Błyskawica” mieli oni dopuścić się defraudacji sporej sumy pieniędzy, przekazanej im dla celów służbowych przez „Ognia”. Również ten fakt zaważyć miał na decyzji o ich likwidacji.
2. Dymel był do 11 listopada 1944 r. zastępcą komendanta, wywodzącej się z oddziału BCh „Zyndram”, placówki AK w Łącku. Poszukiwany był równocześnie przez dowódcę 9 kompanii 1 psp AK por. Juliana Zubka „Tatara”, który chciał na nim wykonać wyrok śmierci. Istnieją przesłanki świadczące o tym, że Dymel nawiązał kontakt z BCh właśnie dlatego, że był podejrzewany przez AK o kontakty z Gestapo. Co ciekawe, w styczniu 1945 r. to właśnie Dymel razem z Edwardem Skórnógiem pomogli partyzantom radzieckim ze zgrupowania mjr./ppłk Iwana Zołotara wysadzić niemieckie magazyny na Zamku Jagiellońskim w Nowym Sączu. Ich nazwiska zostały jednak skrzętnie pominięte w polskim wydaniu wspomnień Zołotara, zapewne by nie kojarzono sowieckich partyzantów z „reakcyjnymi bandami”.
Pierwsza część uroczystości przekazania "Testamentu żołnierzy i obywateli Polskiego Państwa Podziemnego" reprezentantom młodego pokolenia Polaków, jaka odbyła się na dziedzińcu Pałacu Prezydenckiego 27 września 2009 roku
Partyzanci 3 kompanii por. Henryka Głowińskiego "Groźnego" ze zgrupowania mjr. Józefa Kurasia "Ognia". "Groźny", stoi trzeci z lewej, za nim stoi Antoni Wąsowicz "Roch".
Oddział "Rocha", czyli pozostałości 3 kompanii zgrupowania "Ognia" był oddziałem, który kontynuując podziemną działalność postanowił także zastosować represje wobec ujawniających się "ogniowców". Najbardziej znaną tego typu akcją był zamach na Bogusława Szokalskiego "Herkulesa", byłego adiutanta „Ognia”, oraz na jego narzeczoną Albinę Zborowską „Baśkę”, do którego doszło 23 marca 1947 r. W jego wyniku Zborowska została zastrzelona, a Szokalski ciężko ranny. Powodem zamachu na te osoby był nie tylko fakt ich ujawnienia wobec władz, ale także przypuszczenia, że podjęli oni jeszcze za życia „Ognia” współpracę z UB1.
Zaznaczyć należy, że podziemie funkcjonowało wówczas w bardzo trudnych warunkach, gdyż współpracujący dotychczas z partyzantami górale, czyli tzw. „terenówka bandy”, jak określali to funkcjonariusze UB, w dużej części także postanowili skorzystać z amnestii. Sytuacja w Gorcach była na tyle niesprzyjająca dalszej działalności, że dowodzący 3 kompanią Antoni Wąsowicz „Roch” razem z jeszcze dwoma innymi „ogniowcami” (Adamem Domalikiem i Edwardem Superganem) postanowił przerwać walkę i przez Czechosłowację i Austrię przedostać się na Zachód. Partyzanci zaopatrzeni w broń krótką i granaty 7 maja opuścili Polskę. Niestety, próba ta zakończyła się niepowodzeniem i aresztowaniem całej trójki na terenie Austrii 12 maja 1947 r. Antoni Wąsowicz i Adam Domalik zostali następnie przekazani władzom polskim i na mocy wyroku Wojskowego Sądu Rejonowego w Krakowie skazani na karę śmierci, którą wykonano 24 lutego 1948 r. Supergan uratował życie, ale trafił na wiele lat do więzienia.
Oddział "Wiarusy" w 1947 r. - pierwszy z lewej dowódca Józef Świder "Mściciel", drugi z-ca dowódcy Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny", za nim Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz". Klęczy od lewej Adam Półtorak "Wicher", N.N.
Wiarusy 1947 r. Od lewej: Adam Półtorak "Wicher", N.N., Adam Papież, Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz", Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny".
Wiarusy 1947 r. Od lewej: Adam Półtorak "Wicher", Adam Papież, Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz", Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny", N.N.
Klęczy Dymitr Zasulski "Czarny", przy rkm-ie leży Mieczysława Łysek "Grandziarz".
W Gorcach pozostała zaledwie kilkuosobowa grupa partyzantów, na czele z Józefem Świdrem „Pucułą”, który po objęciu nad nią dowództwa zmienił swój pseudonim na „Mściciel”. Dwudziestoletni Świder, dotychczas szeregowy żołnierz 3 kompanii, okazał się być dobrym organizatorem – oddział oficjalnie już działający pod nazwą „Wiarusy” rozbudował do stanu kilkunastoosobowego, wzmocnił też sieć współpracowników i informatorów grupy. W obawie przed stale narastającymi represjami UB z powrotem w góry trafiali kolejni byli żołnierze „Ognia”. Głośnym echem odbiła się w tym czasie sprawa śmierci ujawnionego partyzanta Kazimierza Białońskiego „Rudego”, którego zastrzelono w jednej z zakopiańskich restauracji.
Do lasu uciekano więc z jednej strony nie chcąc trafić do więzienia, a z drugiej w obawie o własne życie. „Wiarusy” pod dowództwem „Mściciela” działali aż do 18 lutego 1948 r., kiedy to Józef Świder zginął w potyczce z UB w Lubniu, a pochwycony wówczas Marian Kozłecki „Grzmot” poprowadził 20 lutego obławę na leśny obóz oddziału, którym była ziemianka położona między Harklową a Ochotnicą.
Fotografia Józefa Świdra „Mściciela” zastrzelonego przez UB w walce 18 lutego 1948 r., wraz z opisem sporządzonym przez bezpiekę.
Po tych wydarzeniach grupę scalił na nowo Tadeusz Dymel „Srebrny”, nie należący wcześniej do zgrupowania „Ognia”. Oddział liczył około 10 osób, nie posiadał stałej bazy, korzystając przede wszystkim z gościnności gorczańskich górali. W lipcu 1948 r. doszło do niejasnego do dzisiaj podziału w obrębie grupy. Według opinii oficerów UB miał on nastąpić na tle okupacyjnej przeszłości „Srebrnego”. Był on bowiem w 1947 r. oskarżony o to, że w czasie wojny współpracował z Gestapo (tajną niemiecką policją państwową) w Nowym Sączu. Nie został jednak osądzony, gdyż uciekł z rozprawy i wraz ze swoim szwagrem Edwardem Skórnógiem dołączył do dowodzonego przez „Mściciela” oddziału „Wiarusy”. Jak dotąd nie udało się w pełni ani potwierdzić, ani obalić tezy o współpracy Dymela z Niemcami2.
Po podziale przy „Srebrnym” pozostali: Stanisław Ludzia „Dzielny”, „Harnaś” (ujawniony w 1947 r. były adiutant „Ognia”), Edward Skórnóg „Szatan” oraz Mieczysław Łysek „Grandziarz”.
Odeszli natomiast bracia Samborscy – Kajetan „Lot”, „Teściowa” i Stanisław „Bratek”, „Duch”, Zbigniew Zarębski „Kanciarz” oraz Henryk Machała „Jaksa”, „Gryf”. Na czele grupy stanął „Teściowa”, a oddział przyjął nazwę „Zorza”. Nie działał jednak długo, gdyż już w październiku 1948 r. zawiesił akcje zbrojne, a broń ukrył u Józefa Kościelniaka w Rabce. Partyzanci wyposażeni tylko w pistolety i granaty udali się do Bielska, gdzie zamierzali przeczekać niesprzyjający walce w górach okres zimowy. Podczas podróży pociągiem zostali jednak zdemaskowani: na stacji w Wadowicach wywiązała się strzelanina, podczas której śmierć ponieśli dwaj cywile i milicjant. Zdarzenie to skłoniło Kajetana Samborskiego do zmiany planów. Podjął on mianowicie decyzje o przedostaniu się przez „zieloną granicę” do amerykańskiej strefy okupacyjnej. Wyprawa miała miejsce w listopadzie 1948 r. i zakończyła się niepowodzeniem.
Od lewej: ps. "Saper", Mieczysław Łysek "Grandziarz", Stanisław Ludzia "Harnaś".
Już na terenie Czechosłowacji „Teściowa” i „Kanciarz” zginęli zastrzeleni przez funkcjonariuszy tamtejszej bezpieki. Lekko ranny Stanisław Samborski „Bratek” został wydany władzom polskim i po śledztwie skazany na śmierć. Henryk Machała „Gryf”, który nie brał udziału w wyjeździe, powrócił w Gorce do „Wiarusów”, którymi po śmierci „Srebrnego” w październiku 1948 r. dowodził już Stanisław Ludzia „Harnaś”.
W ten sposób połączona grupa, powiększona o Jana Jankowskiego „Groźnego”, Leona Zagatę „Złoma”, a później także Stanisława Janczego „Pruta”, działała aż do ostatecznego rozbicia w lipcu 1949 r.
Jan Jankowski "Groźny", partyzant oddziału "Wiarusy", stracony przez komunistów 12 I 1950 r.
Henryk Machała "Gryf", partyzant oddziału "Wiarusy", stracony przez komunistów 12 I 1950 r.
Rozbicie oddziału partyzanckiego „Wiarusy” nastręczało bezpiece bardzo wiele trudności. Akcje prowadzone nieprzerwanie od 1947 r. tylko okresowo wpływały na dezorganizacje działalności grupy, nie mogły jednak doprowadzić do jej zupełnego unieszkodliwienia. Oddział pomimo tego, że tracił swoich najbardziej doświadczonych żołnierzy, także dowódców (Józef Świder, Dymitr Zasulski, Tadeusz Dymel), istniał dalej i zdolny był do prowadzenia działań bojowych na terenie całego powiatu nowotarskiego. Znamiennym jest fakt, że największym sukcesem UB było rozbicie „Zorzy” w 1948 r., a więc akcja sprowokowana tak naprawdę przez samych partyzantów, którzy opuścili góry i próbowali przedostać się na Zachód. Od tego momentu wzmogły się także obławy i aresztowania na samym Podhalu, na co niemały wpływ miały zeznania członków „Zorzy”: Stanisława Samborskiego „Orlika” oraz Bronisławy Zarębskiej (Luschanek). Pomimo intensywnych poszukiwań nie udało się jednak wytropić ukrywających się w swoich „melinach” żołnierzy podziemia, nad którymi z początkiem 1949 r. dowództwo objął Stanisław Ludzia „Harnaś”.
Na pierwszym planie (z lewej) stoi Stanisław Ludzia "Harnaś".
Pomimo niepowodzeń powstawały kolejne plany rozbicia „Wiarusów”. Początkowo dążono do ujęcia partyzantów poprzez system kontrolowanych przez agenturę i współpracowników UB „bezpiecznych kryjówek”. Nie doceniono jednak faktu, że oddział posiadał cały szereg zaufanych ludzi, którzy nie byli przez UB rozpracowani, a pełnili funkcję informatorów, zapewniając także partyzantom kwaterunek. Wiosną 1949 r. oddział wyszedł z ukrycia i wznowił działalność, przeprowadzając szereg akcji rekwizycyjnych oraz wymierzonych we współpracowników nowej władzy (m.in. zarekwirowano towary w spółdzielni w Nowej Białej 1 kwietnia 1949 r.).
Pieczęć „Wiarusów" – III Kompania AK.
Skłoniło to funkcjonariuszy do opracowania nowego sposobu likwidacji grupy – tym razem przez wprowadzenie do niej agenta. Próba taka miała miejsce już rok wcześniej w maju 1948 r., kiedy to do „Wiarusów” dołączył Franciszek Mierwa „Łosoś” z Długopola, były partyzant ze zgrupowania „Ognia”, którego dwa miesiące wcześniej bezpieka skłoniła do współpracy. Przyjął on wówczas pseudonim „Wiśniewski”. Miał on za zadanie wejść w skład oddziału, zyskać zaufanie dowódcy, a następnie skłonić go do udania się w rejon Długopola, gdzie przygotowana była już przez UB zasadzka. Plan ten nie powiódł się, przede wszystkim dlatego, że Mierwa będąc w oddziale i przemieszczając się wraz z nim, nie miał dostatecznej możliwości informowania UB o ruchach grupy, nie był też w stanie skłonić „Srebrnego” do przejścia w rejon Długopola. Mimo to, dzięki jego staraniom udało się ustalić szereg współpracowników oddziału, a także aresztować jej nowego członka – Franciszka Szeligę. 14 lipca 1948 r. donosił on m.in. o przejściu „Wiarusów” przez Ochotnicę Dolną, później jednak utracił z partyzantami kontakt i powrócił do Długopola. Tam od 1949 r. ukrywał się zarówno przed „Wiarusami”, jak i przed UB. Władze zlokalizowały jego miejsce zamieszkania dopiero w 1951 r.
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1. Według dostępnych autorowi materiałów ani Szokalski, ani Zborowska nie współpracowali z bezpieką. Z końcem 1946 r. zostali wysłani przez Kurasia na Ziemie Zachodnie, skąd wrócili dopiero po ogłoszeniu amnestii w lutym 1947 r. Według niepotwierdzonych opinii niektórych członków Zgrupowania „Błyskawica” mieli oni dopuścić się defraudacji sporej sumy pieniędzy, przekazanej im dla celów służbowych przez „Ognia”. Również ten fakt zaważyć miał na decyzji o ich likwidacji.
2. Dymel był do 11 listopada 1944 r. zastępcą komendanta, wywodzącej się z oddziału BCh „Zyndram”, placówki AK w Łącku. Poszukiwany był równocześnie przez dowódcę 9 kompanii 1 psp AK por. Juliana Zubka „Tatara”, który chciał na nim wykonać wyrok śmierci. Istnieją przesłanki świadczące o tym, że Dymel nawiązał kontakt z BCh właśnie dlatego, że był podejrzewany przez AK o kontakty z Gestapo. Co ciekawe, w styczniu 1945 r. to właśnie Dymel razem z Edwardem Skórnógiem pomogli partyzantom radzieckim ze zgrupowania mjr./ppłk Iwana Zołotara wysadzić niemieckie magazyny na Zamku Jagiellońskim w Nowym Sączu. Ich nazwiska zostały jednak skrzętnie pominięte w polskim wydaniu wspomnień Zołotara, zapewne by nie kojarzono sowieckich partyzantów z „reakcyjnymi bandami”.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
US Departament of State Discrimination of the Polish Nationals People's of Poland.
US Departament of State Discrimination of the Polish Nationals People's of Poland.
The only possibility to make an appointment with the US consular officer in Poland is to call the info line 0 701 77 44 00 or *740 94 00 from the cell phones. The call costs 4.00 PLN plus 22% VAT for one minute. It takes about 10 minutes to make an appointment over the phone. So it costs about 48.80 PLN to arrange the appointment. In English version there is no information about possibility to pay 22 PLN with Visa or MasterCard by calling to the Embassy number +48 22 523 2000
http://poland.usembassy.gov/poland/how_to_apply.html
Slovakia
There is no fee for scheduling an appointment with the consular officer. This is done by the internet webpage. Below are appropriate links.
http://slovakia.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant-visas.html
http://slovakia.usembassy.gov/scheduling-a-visa-interview.html
https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=BTS&appcode=3
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_barcode.asp
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_nocalendar.asp
Czech Republic
There is no fee for scheduling an appointment with the consular officer. This is done by the internet webpage. Below are appropriate links.
http://prague.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html
https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=PRG&appcode=3
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_barcode.asp
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_nocalendar.asp
Germany
There are two ways of applying for appointment with the consular officer online and by phone. Online appointment procedure costs 10 US dollars. Through the telephone you should call 0900 1-850055. It costs EUR 1.86/min from landline . Mobile phone providers might offer different tariffs. You can call and pay for the service using a credit card by calling +49 (0)9131-772-2270 You will be charged for the long-distance call and a EUR 15 service charge will be billed through your credit card.
http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/niv/
http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/niv/apply/
http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/niv/step4/
Lithuania
There is no fee for scheduling an appointment with the consular officer. This is done by the internet webpage. Below are appropriate links.
http://vilnius.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html
https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=VIL&appcode=3
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_barcode.asp
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_nocalendar.asp
Ukraine
To make an appointment with the consular officer you should call 044-207-7071. If calling from the United States, the telephone number is 1-888-826-2340. You must pay 12 US dollars for 8 minutes call and you must purchase a PIN.
http://kyiv.usembassy.gov/call_center_eng.html
Belarus
Issuing tourist visas is suspended because of limited number of diplomatic personnel.
http://minsk.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html
Russia
Visas to the USA are managed by the company Pony Express.
Polish-American Contributions To Our Nation
The United States of America is a country shaped by immigrants. All people that are citizens today have either come here themselves, or their ancestors came here, through immigration. Even the people known as "Native Americans" are immigrants that came here 10,000 years ago. Of these many peoples, one particular group has made many great contributions to this country. This group is the Polish-Americans. Through the history of the U.S., the Polish-Americans have made significant strides and accomplishments in politics, art, the military, and science.
Even though the greatest wave of Polish-Americans immigrated to this country from 1870 to 1920, Poles have been involved in America since even before there was a United States. There are reports of a Polish Legion attached to the English exploration in 1607. Also, a great number of Poles fought for the colonials in the American Revolution. The people of Poland identified with the American colonists’ struggle for independence, because they to were in a similar struggle during the 1770’s.
Despite discrimination from Anglo-Saxon, Protestant Americans, the Polish-Americans made the best of their new home, and flourished as a proud community. Polish-Americans never lost their ethnic identity. Family was the fundamental unit in their life. They also carried on the strong Polish Catholic tradition. One strong characteristic of the Polish-Americans was that they never forgot the struggles of their ancestors. Polish-Americans took a great interest in the affairs of their new country. The first Polish-American political club, the "Kosciuszko Club," established in 1871, had this motto, "A good Pole is a good American citizen."
Many Polish-Americans have accomplished great things in U.S. politics. Edmund Muskie-(Marciszewski) was a very successful U.S. politician. He was the first popularly elected Democratic Senator, and he served as a Senator in Maine for 22 years. He made two attempts at the White House; once in 1968 as vice-president on the Humphrey ticket, and in 1972 as a Democratic candidate for president. He later served the government as Secretary of State in 1980. Here he helped resolve the Iran hostage situation. He also served on the Tower Commission that probed the Iran-Contra scandal. Another successful Polish-American in politics was Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was one of the US’s leading foreign policy statesmen. He is a professor of American Foreign Policy at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in the normalization of relations between the U.S. and China. He also wrote many books on political philosophy.
In the American art world, there have been many accomplishments by Polish-Americans. A Polish-American sculptor and artist, Korczak Ziolkowski, is the creator of the statue of Crazy Horse in the Dakota Black Hills. He was also a member of the artist team that sculpted the heads of presidents on Mt. Rushmore. In one interview with him, Ziolkowski said, "Artistic talent is a gift given to you, it can very seldom be taught to you. Be bold. Always be bold. Know your subject until you feel your subject." Another Polish-American, Ed Paschke, was a contemporary painter, who was a featured Chicago Abstract Imagist. His style centers on elaborate masks and depersonalized, partial figures that exist in an airless world. Paschke’s subjects "exhibit this yearning to be understood, but their masks reveal no meaning(Daniels, pg.45)."
Throughout the history of the U.S., many Polish-Americans have served with honor in the military. Tadeusz Kosciuszko was a political leader and philosopher that served in the Colonial army against the British in the American Revolution. He was a great military strategist that set up the American defenses at the great Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolution. He also built West Point. He was also a patriot in his native homeland of Poland. The plaque upon his statue at the military academy reads "Hero of two worlds." Kosciuszko is also known as the "Pioneer of Negro Emancipation." Upon his death, he stipulated that all of his property and wealth should go toward "the charitable purposes of educating and emancipating as many children of bondage in this country as it should be adequate."
General Pulaski, a Pole, came to the aid of the Americans during the revolution, and gave his life in the Battle of Savanah. Wladimir B. Krzyzanowski was a Polish-American that fought for the Union in the Civil War. He organized a "Polish Legion," which was made up of Polish-Americans and Polish immigrants. He led a bayonet charge that won the battle of Cross Creek in 1862. At the battle of Groveton, Krzyzanowski’s troops captured part of "Stonewall" Jackson’s army. He also fought in the 2nd Bull Run and Chancellorsville. His "Polish Legion" lost more than 50% of its men at Gettysburgh on July 1st. He was the General that led the counter-offensive that saved Cemetery Ridge. He was later involved in the sieges of Chattanooga and Knoxville. After the war, Krzyzanowski worked in the U.S. Treasury Department, serving in the Reconstruction Districts of Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. He was also the Reconstruction governor of Alabama. He was elected the first Governor of Alaska. Krzyzanowski was also a champion of the "Women’s Revolution" and he spoke many times in favor of women’s suffrage.
In the field of science, many Polish-Americans have made great contributions. Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar, the fiber used in bullet proof vests, while working for DuPont in 1960. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Mrs. Kwolek has received 20 awards for her work and achievements in science. She has received the National Medal of Technology, the nation’s highest technology award, and she has also received the Perkin Award, the most prestigious award in the applied sciences. Bronislaw Malinowski, one of the founders of Cultural Anthropology, is famous for his research in the Trobriand Islands. He came up with the idea of four categories of myth: function and practice, context and meaning, anthropology and psychoanalysis, and conceptual mankind. He is known as one of America’s greatest universal thinkers. Stanislaw Ulam, a great mathematician, wrote many books on mathematics. He was one of the creators of the A-bomb and the H-bomb for the United States military.
As you can see, many Polish-Americans have made great contributions to our country. It is truly a great thing that these men and women never forgot their heritage. They worked so hard for the U.S., but never lost sight of their roots in Eastern Europe. Poland as a country has overcome so much, and so have the Polish people. The Polish-American people not only honor themselves and our country, but they honor the land of their ancestors as well. Many Polish-American groups help out the community on the daily, and in the future, many more Polish-Americans will contribute to our country, and lead the United States into the 21st Century.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
(1746-1817)
Two hundred and fifty one years have passed since in February 1746, in the Eastern territories of the Kingdom of Poland, the man to whom these words are addressed was born. The man who was to become the symbol of alliance between countries so distant in space yet so close in their love of freedom.
A cadet of the Military Academy in Warsaw, an outstanding, educated in France engineer - strategist, a hero of the U.S. War of Independence, the commander-in-chief of the only Polish uprising to be named after its leader - Kosciuszko Rising.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko. This - how difficult for them a name - the American people have imprinted in gold onto the pages recording the dramatic history of the struggle for independence. History spanning the time from the moment when on October 18th 1776 the Leader of the Congress signed - with the words "... with great faith and trust in tour patriotism, virtues and loyalty ..." - Kosciuszko's nomination for the colonel of the American Army, till the day of November 25th, 1783 when General Kosciuszko accompanied the Commander-in-Chief George Washington on his triumphant return to New York.
On the great map of the United States of America there still shine with the glare of victory and faithful memory the battlefields where Kosciuszko fought. Saratoga - regarded as the "turning point" in the history of the War of Independence, fortified by "the young Polish engineer" that won the words of highest esteem from Horatio Gates, his commander.
West Point - the stronghold called by Washington "the most important post in America" where Tadeusz Kosciuszko, in the words of that supreme commander, had "chief direction and superintendence". The Yadkin and Dan rivers in North Carolina and Virginia where the crossing directed by Kosciuszko twice rescued the army from the enemy, compelling its commander, General Nathaneal Greene to call his chief engineer "one of the most helpful and congenial companions", stressing his "perseverance, determination, indefatigable efforts" as well as his "incomparable modesty".
"From one man we can have but one life" - wrote about Kosciuszko President Thomas Jefferson ' "and you gave us the most valuable and active part of yours, and we are now enjoying and improving its effects. Every sound American, sincere votary of freedom loves and honors you...".
The New York bridge that bears the name of Tadeusz Kosciuszko is crowned at the top with the emblems of both our states. They differ in shape but the symbol is the same. An eagle. American and Polish.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko came from a family of small landed gentry. He attended the Cadet School and in 1770 left for Paris to continue his studies. There, he became acquainted with the progressive ideology of the French Enlightenment. Poland was undergoing the first partition of 1772 when Kosciuszko was in France. In 1776 Kosciuszko left for America and took part in the fight for the freedom of the North American colonies.
Back in Poland in 1784, Kosciuszko helped organize the Polish Army which was enlarged by provisions contained in the statutes of the Four-Year Seym and participated in the 1792 war against Russia.
An armed insurrection broke out in Poland in 1794. Kosciuszko returned to the country and was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces with powers of a dictator.
On March 24th Kosciuszko took his oath in Cracow: "I swear to the whole Polish nation that I shall not use the power vested in me for private oppression but that I shall exercise this power only in the defense of the whole of the frontiers and to regain the independence of the Nation and to establish universal freedom". Wishing to draw the peasant masses into the fight for liberty, Kosciuszko proclaimed what is called the Po³aniec Universal in which he abolished serfdom, reduced the corvee - or unpaid labour for the lord - and freed peasants who served in the army from this duty.
After several victorious battles in October, 1794, the Polish forces suffered a defeat at Maciejowice. The commander, heavily wounded in the field, was taken prisoner. Kosciuszko remained in Russia as a prisoner until 1796. After his release Kosciuszko lived in the West.
Kosciuszko died in Switzerland in 1817. his body was brought to Poland and laid to rest in the royal crypt at Wawel Castle.
"The effusion of friendship and my warmest toward you which not time will alter. Your principles and dispositions were made to be honored, revered and loved. True to a single object, the freedom and happiness of man..." - so wrote the President of the United States Thomas Jefferson to his friend, American and Polish army general Tadeusz Kosciuszko.
GENERAL PULASKI MEMORIAL DAY, 2009 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
GENERAL PULASKI MEMORIAL DAY, 2009 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Each year on this day, Americans pause to remember a patriot and champion of liberty who fought valiantly for the freedom of our Nation. During our struggle for independence, General Casimir Pulaski displayed heroic leadership and ultimately sacrificed his life in service to our country. His commitment to liberty remains an inspiration to us today, 230 years later, and it serves as a reflection of the many contributions Polish Americans have made to our national identity.
Born in Poland in 1745, Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski witnessed the occupation of Poland by foreign troops during his youth. He joined the struggle for Polish independence in 1768, fighting alongside his father with unwavering determination. Despite the tremendous courage of Pulaski and his compatriots, the foreign forces prevailed and Poland was divided among three of its neighbors. The young Casimir Pulaski was exiled, and, while in Paris, met America's envoy to France, Benjamin Franklin, and learned of our nascent quest for independence.
Arriving in America during the summer of 1777, General Pulaski quickly earned a commission and led his troops with admirable skill in a number of important campaigns. He would eventually become known as the "Father of the American Cavalry." In 1779, Pulaski was mortally wounded during the siege of Savannah while trying to rally his troops under heavy enemy fire. Before laying down his life for the United States, this Polish and American hero had earned a reputation for his idealism and his courageous spirit.
Pulaski's ideals live on today in the many Polish-American communities across the country. These neighborhoods continue to celebrate Polish culture, while adding immeasurably to our national identity. Their contributions have expanded our collective knowledge, pushing the boundaries of science, business, and the arts. With each passing year, the cooperation between the United States and Poland grows, supported by the dedication and commitment of Polish Americans to our shared history. Today, as we remember General Pulaski, we celebrate our strong friendship with Poland, and honor those Americans of Polish heritage.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, October 11, 2009, as General Pulaski Memorial Day. I encourage all Americans to commemorate this occasion with appropriate programs and activities paying tribute to Casimir Pulaski and honoring all those who defend the freedom of our great Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
Parade of West Point Cadets and remembrance ceremony during the 262nd Anniversary of the Birth of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, which took place in West Point at April 26, 2008.
This video was created by Piotr Kajstura.
Norman Davies on Polish history
Casimir Pulaski was born in Podalia, Poland, on March 4, 1747. He had five sisters and two brothers. His father gave him a pony when he was five years old and a horse when he was eight years old. As a child, Casimir learned how to shoot a bulls-eye while riding a horse. His father sent him to Warsaw to go to school. Then his father sent him to the Court of Courtland to be a page for the Duke of Courtland. While Pulaski was there, the Russians took over Courtland, so Casimir had to return to Warsaw.
Pulaski's father organized a group called The Knights of the Holy Cross. The Knights fought against the Russians, because the Russians were trying to take over Poland. Pulaski recruited men to be in the Knights, and he fought with the Knights. They fought bravely against the Russians, but they lost. Casimir and the rest of the Knights were captured and sent to prison. Then he was banished from Poland. He went to Turkey. He and his father and his brothers trained men to fight against Russia. The Russians tried to capture them, but Pulaski escaped back to Poland, even though he had been banished from there.
When he got to Cracow, Poland, Pulaski joined the Polish Revolutionary Confederates who were trying to fight against the Russians. He fought bravely and he helped the Confederates win the Battle of Kukielki, which forced the Russians to leave Poland. He was a hero to the Polish people, but later, the king of Poland, King Stanislaus, turned against him, and he had to flee Poland again.
Image courtesy of ArtToday.
Pulaski decided to go to America to help the colonists fight against the British. He got in touch with Benjamin Franklin, who was in Paris. Franklin gave him money to get to America and told the American Congress and George Washington about Casimir Pulaski.
After he got to America, Pulaski found General Washington in Philadelphia. Washington got the Congress to put Casimir Pulaski in charge of the American Cavalry. Near Brandywine, he saw the British planning a trap around the Americans. He led a charge against the British and defeated the trap. He was a hero to the Americans for saving them from the trap.
Pulaski trained men for the American Cavalry and the infantry. He wanted to start a special legion. The Congress gave him permission. He trained them to be experts on horseback. He led them to battle in New York City. On the way to New York, they had to pass through New Jersey. At Little Egg Harbor, they burned twenty British ships and took all their ammunition. Unfortunately, some of Pulaski 's friends died in the battle.
Casimir Pulaski and his Legion rode south to Charleston to help the people there fight against the British. They went after the British as they tried to escape to sea. Casimir and his men won again, capturing many British troops and supplies. Then Pulaski and his troops went to Savannah to try to capture the city from the British. As they were planning, an American soldier named James Curry informed the British of their plans, so the British were ready for the attack. Because of this, the Americans lost the battle and Casimir Pulaski got shot during the battle. He was badly wounded. The wounds became infected, and he became sick and died. He died on October 11, 1779. He was only 32 years old.
It was a very important thing that the hero Casimir Pulaski came to defend the colonies in the fight against Great Britain, and that is why children in Illinois get a holiday off from school on the first Monday of March. We honor the memory of Casimir Pulaski.
Polonez - Pan Tadeusz
Casimir Pulaski (1745?-1779) is a hero of two countries, Poland and the United States. Pulaski (in Polish: Kazimierz Pulawski) was born in a small town near Warsaw, Poland during the mid-1740s. In 1768, Pulaski and his father Jozef founded the Confederation of the Bar to defend Poland against the aggressive Russian forces, which later arrested and killed Casimir's father. Unable to prevent the partition of Poland, Pulaski left Poland and lived in exile in Turkey and the Balkans between 1772 and 1775, and then to Paris where he met Benjamin Franklin. Franklin convinced him to support the colonies against England in the American Revolution.
Pulaski impressed with the ideals of a new nation struggling to be free, volunteered his services. In 1777, Pulaski arrived in Philadelphia where he met General Washington, Commander-in -Chief of the Continental Army. Later at Brandywine, he came to the aid of Washington's forces and distinguished himself as a brilliant military tactician. For his efforts, Congress appointed him Brigadier-General in charge of Four Horse Brigades. Then again, at the battles of Germantown and Valley Forge, Pulaski's knowledge of warfare assisted Washington and his men.
Later in 1778, through Washington's intervention, Congress approved the establishment of the Cavalry and put Pulaski at its head. The Father of the American Cavalry demanded much of his men and trained them in tested cavalry tactics. He used his own personal finances, when money from Congress was scarce, in order to assure his forces of the finest equipment and personal safety.
Pulaski and his legion were then ordered to defend Little Egg Harbor in New Jersey and Minisink on the Delaware and then south to Charleston, South Carolina. However, it was at the battle of Savannah in 1779 that General Pulaski, riding forth into battle on his horse, fell to the ground mortally wounded by the blast of cannon.
The only possibility to make an appointment with the US consular officer in Poland is to call the info line 0 701 77 44 00 or *740 94 00 from the cell phones. The call costs 4.00 PLN plus 22% VAT for one minute. It takes about 10 minutes to make an appointment over the phone. So it costs about 48.80 PLN to arrange the appointment. In English version there is no information about possibility to pay 22 PLN with Visa or MasterCard by calling to the Embassy number +48 22 523 2000
http://poland.usembassy.gov/poland/how_to_apply.html
Slovakia
There is no fee for scheduling an appointment with the consular officer. This is done by the internet webpage. Below are appropriate links.
http://slovakia.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant-visas.html
http://slovakia.usembassy.gov/scheduling-a-visa-interview.html
https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=BTS&appcode=3
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_barcode.asp
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_nocalendar.asp
Czech Republic
There is no fee for scheduling an appointment with the consular officer. This is done by the internet webpage. Below are appropriate links.
http://prague.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html
https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=PRG&appcode=3
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_barcode.asp
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_nocalendar.asp
Germany
There are two ways of applying for appointment with the consular officer online and by phone. Online appointment procedure costs 10 US dollars. Through the telephone you should call 0900 1-850055. It costs EUR 1.86/min from landline . Mobile phone providers might offer different tariffs. You can call and pay for the service using a credit card by calling +49 (0)9131-772-2270 You will be charged for the long-distance call and a EUR 15 service charge will be billed through your credit card.
http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/niv/
http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/niv/apply/
http://germany.usembassy.gov/visa/niv/step4/
Lithuania
There is no fee for scheduling an appointment with the consular officer. This is done by the internet webpage. Below are appropriate links.
http://vilnius.usembassy.gov/non-immigrant_visas.html
https://evisaforms.state.gov/default.asp?postcode=VIL&appcode=3
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_barcode.asp
https://evisaforms.state.gov/make_nocalendar.asp
Ukraine
To make an appointment with the consular officer you should call 044-207-7071. If calling from the United States, the telephone number is 1-888-826-2340. You must pay 12 US dollars for 8 minutes call and you must purchase a PIN.
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Belarus
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Russia
Visas to the USA are managed by the company Pony Express.
Polish-American Contributions To Our Nation
The United States of America is a country shaped by immigrants. All people that are citizens today have either come here themselves, or their ancestors came here, through immigration. Even the people known as "Native Americans" are immigrants that came here 10,000 years ago. Of these many peoples, one particular group has made many great contributions to this country. This group is the Polish-Americans. Through the history of the U.S., the Polish-Americans have made significant strides and accomplishments in politics, art, the military, and science.
Even though the greatest wave of Polish-Americans immigrated to this country from 1870 to 1920, Poles have been involved in America since even before there was a United States. There are reports of a Polish Legion attached to the English exploration in 1607. Also, a great number of Poles fought for the colonials in the American Revolution. The people of Poland identified with the American colonists’ struggle for independence, because they to were in a similar struggle during the 1770’s.
Despite discrimination from Anglo-Saxon, Protestant Americans, the Polish-Americans made the best of their new home, and flourished as a proud community. Polish-Americans never lost their ethnic identity. Family was the fundamental unit in their life. They also carried on the strong Polish Catholic tradition. One strong characteristic of the Polish-Americans was that they never forgot the struggles of their ancestors. Polish-Americans took a great interest in the affairs of their new country. The first Polish-American political club, the "Kosciuszko Club," established in 1871, had this motto, "A good Pole is a good American citizen."
Many Polish-Americans have accomplished great things in U.S. politics. Edmund Muskie-(Marciszewski) was a very successful U.S. politician. He was the first popularly elected Democratic Senator, and he served as a Senator in Maine for 22 years. He made two attempts at the White House; once in 1968 as vice-president on the Humphrey ticket, and in 1972 as a Democratic candidate for president. He later served the government as Secretary of State in 1980. Here he helped resolve the Iran hostage situation. He also served on the Tower Commission that probed the Iran-Contra scandal. Another successful Polish-American in politics was Dr. Zbigniew Brzezinski, who was one of the US’s leading foreign policy statesmen. He is a professor of American Foreign Policy at the Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in the normalization of relations between the U.S. and China. He also wrote many books on political philosophy.
In the American art world, there have been many accomplishments by Polish-Americans. A Polish-American sculptor and artist, Korczak Ziolkowski, is the creator of the statue of Crazy Horse in the Dakota Black Hills. He was also a member of the artist team that sculpted the heads of presidents on Mt. Rushmore. In one interview with him, Ziolkowski said, "Artistic talent is a gift given to you, it can very seldom be taught to you. Be bold. Always be bold. Know your subject until you feel your subject." Another Polish-American, Ed Paschke, was a contemporary painter, who was a featured Chicago Abstract Imagist. His style centers on elaborate masks and depersonalized, partial figures that exist in an airless world. Paschke’s subjects "exhibit this yearning to be understood, but their masks reveal no meaning(Daniels, pg.45)."
Throughout the history of the U.S., many Polish-Americans have served with honor in the military. Tadeusz Kosciuszko was a political leader and philosopher that served in the Colonial army against the British in the American Revolution. He was a great military strategist that set up the American defenses at the great Battle of Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolution. He also built West Point. He was also a patriot in his native homeland of Poland. The plaque upon his statue at the military academy reads "Hero of two worlds." Kosciuszko is also known as the "Pioneer of Negro Emancipation." Upon his death, he stipulated that all of his property and wealth should go toward "the charitable purposes of educating and emancipating as many children of bondage in this country as it should be adequate."
General Pulaski, a Pole, came to the aid of the Americans during the revolution, and gave his life in the Battle of Savanah. Wladimir B. Krzyzanowski was a Polish-American that fought for the Union in the Civil War. He organized a "Polish Legion," which was made up of Polish-Americans and Polish immigrants. He led a bayonet charge that won the battle of Cross Creek in 1862. At the battle of Groveton, Krzyzanowski’s troops captured part of "Stonewall" Jackson’s army. He also fought in the 2nd Bull Run and Chancellorsville. His "Polish Legion" lost more than 50% of its men at Gettysburgh on July 1st. He was the General that led the counter-offensive that saved Cemetery Ridge. He was later involved in the sieges of Chattanooga and Knoxville. After the war, Krzyzanowski worked in the U.S. Treasury Department, serving in the Reconstruction Districts of Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. He was also the Reconstruction governor of Alabama. He was elected the first Governor of Alaska. Krzyzanowski was also a champion of the "Women’s Revolution" and he spoke many times in favor of women’s suffrage.
In the field of science, many Polish-Americans have made great contributions. Stephanie Kwolek invented Kevlar, the fiber used in bullet proof vests, while working for DuPont in 1960. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Mrs. Kwolek has received 20 awards for her work and achievements in science. She has received the National Medal of Technology, the nation’s highest technology award, and she has also received the Perkin Award, the most prestigious award in the applied sciences. Bronislaw Malinowski, one of the founders of Cultural Anthropology, is famous for his research in the Trobriand Islands. He came up with the idea of four categories of myth: function and practice, context and meaning, anthropology and psychoanalysis, and conceptual mankind. He is known as one of America’s greatest universal thinkers. Stanislaw Ulam, a great mathematician, wrote many books on mathematics. He was one of the creators of the A-bomb and the H-bomb for the United States military.
As you can see, many Polish-Americans have made great contributions to our country. It is truly a great thing that these men and women never forgot their heritage. They worked so hard for the U.S., but never lost sight of their roots in Eastern Europe. Poland as a country has overcome so much, and so have the Polish people. The Polish-American people not only honor themselves and our country, but they honor the land of their ancestors as well. Many Polish-American groups help out the community on the daily, and in the future, many more Polish-Americans will contribute to our country, and lead the United States into the 21st Century.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko
(1746-1817)
Two hundred and fifty one years have passed since in February 1746, in the Eastern territories of the Kingdom of Poland, the man to whom these words are addressed was born. The man who was to become the symbol of alliance between countries so distant in space yet so close in their love of freedom.
A cadet of the Military Academy in Warsaw, an outstanding, educated in France engineer - strategist, a hero of the U.S. War of Independence, the commander-in-chief of the only Polish uprising to be named after its leader - Kosciuszko Rising.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko. This - how difficult for them a name - the American people have imprinted in gold onto the pages recording the dramatic history of the struggle for independence. History spanning the time from the moment when on October 18th 1776 the Leader of the Congress signed - with the words "... with great faith and trust in tour patriotism, virtues and loyalty ..." - Kosciuszko's nomination for the colonel of the American Army, till the day of November 25th, 1783 when General Kosciuszko accompanied the Commander-in-Chief George Washington on his triumphant return to New York.
On the great map of the United States of America there still shine with the glare of victory and faithful memory the battlefields where Kosciuszko fought. Saratoga - regarded as the "turning point" in the history of the War of Independence, fortified by "the young Polish engineer" that won the words of highest esteem from Horatio Gates, his commander.
West Point - the stronghold called by Washington "the most important post in America" where Tadeusz Kosciuszko, in the words of that supreme commander, had "chief direction and superintendence". The Yadkin and Dan rivers in North Carolina and Virginia where the crossing directed by Kosciuszko twice rescued the army from the enemy, compelling its commander, General Nathaneal Greene to call his chief engineer "one of the most helpful and congenial companions", stressing his "perseverance, determination, indefatigable efforts" as well as his "incomparable modesty".
"From one man we can have but one life" - wrote about Kosciuszko President Thomas Jefferson ' "and you gave us the most valuable and active part of yours, and we are now enjoying and improving its effects. Every sound American, sincere votary of freedom loves and honors you...".
The New York bridge that bears the name of Tadeusz Kosciuszko is crowned at the top with the emblems of both our states. They differ in shape but the symbol is the same. An eagle. American and Polish.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko came from a family of small landed gentry. He attended the Cadet School and in 1770 left for Paris to continue his studies. There, he became acquainted with the progressive ideology of the French Enlightenment. Poland was undergoing the first partition of 1772 when Kosciuszko was in France. In 1776 Kosciuszko left for America and took part in the fight for the freedom of the North American colonies.
Back in Poland in 1784, Kosciuszko helped organize the Polish Army which was enlarged by provisions contained in the statutes of the Four-Year Seym and participated in the 1792 war against Russia.
An armed insurrection broke out in Poland in 1794. Kosciuszko returned to the country and was appointed commander-in-chief of the armed forces with powers of a dictator.
On March 24th Kosciuszko took his oath in Cracow: "I swear to the whole Polish nation that I shall not use the power vested in me for private oppression but that I shall exercise this power only in the defense of the whole of the frontiers and to regain the independence of the Nation and to establish universal freedom". Wishing to draw the peasant masses into the fight for liberty, Kosciuszko proclaimed what is called the Po³aniec Universal in which he abolished serfdom, reduced the corvee - or unpaid labour for the lord - and freed peasants who served in the army from this duty.
After several victorious battles in October, 1794, the Polish forces suffered a defeat at Maciejowice. The commander, heavily wounded in the field, was taken prisoner. Kosciuszko remained in Russia as a prisoner until 1796. After his release Kosciuszko lived in the West.
Kosciuszko died in Switzerland in 1817. his body was brought to Poland and laid to rest in the royal crypt at Wawel Castle.
"The effusion of friendship and my warmest toward you which not time will alter. Your principles and dispositions were made to be honored, revered and loved. True to a single object, the freedom and happiness of man..." - so wrote the President of the United States Thomas Jefferson to his friend, American and Polish army general Tadeusz Kosciuszko.
GENERAL PULASKI MEMORIAL DAY, 2009 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
GENERAL PULASKI MEMORIAL DAY, 2009 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Each year on this day, Americans pause to remember a patriot and champion of liberty who fought valiantly for the freedom of our Nation. During our struggle for independence, General Casimir Pulaski displayed heroic leadership and ultimately sacrificed his life in service to our country. His commitment to liberty remains an inspiration to us today, 230 years later, and it serves as a reflection of the many contributions Polish Americans have made to our national identity.
Born in Poland in 1745, Brigadier General Casimir Pulaski witnessed the occupation of Poland by foreign troops during his youth. He joined the struggle for Polish independence in 1768, fighting alongside his father with unwavering determination. Despite the tremendous courage of Pulaski and his compatriots, the foreign forces prevailed and Poland was divided among three of its neighbors. The young Casimir Pulaski was exiled, and, while in Paris, met America's envoy to France, Benjamin Franklin, and learned of our nascent quest for independence.
Arriving in America during the summer of 1777, General Pulaski quickly earned a commission and led his troops with admirable skill in a number of important campaigns. He would eventually become known as the "Father of the American Cavalry." In 1779, Pulaski was mortally wounded during the siege of Savannah while trying to rally his troops under heavy enemy fire. Before laying down his life for the United States, this Polish and American hero had earned a reputation for his idealism and his courageous spirit.
Pulaski's ideals live on today in the many Polish-American communities across the country. These neighborhoods continue to celebrate Polish culture, while adding immeasurably to our national identity. Their contributions have expanded our collective knowledge, pushing the boundaries of science, business, and the arts. With each passing year, the cooperation between the United States and Poland grows, supported by the dedication and commitment of Polish Americans to our shared history. Today, as we remember General Pulaski, we celebrate our strong friendship with Poland, and honor those Americans of Polish heritage.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Sunday, October 11, 2009, as General Pulaski Memorial Day. I encourage all Americans to commemorate this occasion with appropriate programs and activities paying tribute to Casimir Pulaski and honoring all those who defend the freedom of our great Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-fourth.
BARACK OBAMA
Parade of West Point Cadets and remembrance ceremony during the 262nd Anniversary of the Birth of Tadeusz Kosciuszko, which took place in West Point at April 26, 2008.
This video was created by Piotr Kajstura.
Norman Davies on Polish history
Casimir Pulaski was born in Podalia, Poland, on March 4, 1747. He had five sisters and two brothers. His father gave him a pony when he was five years old and a horse when he was eight years old. As a child, Casimir learned how to shoot a bulls-eye while riding a horse. His father sent him to Warsaw to go to school. Then his father sent him to the Court of Courtland to be a page for the Duke of Courtland. While Pulaski was there, the Russians took over Courtland, so Casimir had to return to Warsaw.
Pulaski's father organized a group called The Knights of the Holy Cross. The Knights fought against the Russians, because the Russians were trying to take over Poland. Pulaski recruited men to be in the Knights, and he fought with the Knights. They fought bravely against the Russians, but they lost. Casimir and the rest of the Knights were captured and sent to prison. Then he was banished from Poland. He went to Turkey. He and his father and his brothers trained men to fight against Russia. The Russians tried to capture them, but Pulaski escaped back to Poland, even though he had been banished from there.
When he got to Cracow, Poland, Pulaski joined the Polish Revolutionary Confederates who were trying to fight against the Russians. He fought bravely and he helped the Confederates win the Battle of Kukielki, which forced the Russians to leave Poland. He was a hero to the Polish people, but later, the king of Poland, King Stanislaus, turned against him, and he had to flee Poland again.
Image courtesy of ArtToday.
Pulaski decided to go to America to help the colonists fight against the British. He got in touch with Benjamin Franklin, who was in Paris. Franklin gave him money to get to America and told the American Congress and George Washington about Casimir Pulaski.
After he got to America, Pulaski found General Washington in Philadelphia. Washington got the Congress to put Casimir Pulaski in charge of the American Cavalry. Near Brandywine, he saw the British planning a trap around the Americans. He led a charge against the British and defeated the trap. He was a hero to the Americans for saving them from the trap.
Pulaski trained men for the American Cavalry and the infantry. He wanted to start a special legion. The Congress gave him permission. He trained them to be experts on horseback. He led them to battle in New York City. On the way to New York, they had to pass through New Jersey. At Little Egg Harbor, they burned twenty British ships and took all their ammunition. Unfortunately, some of Pulaski 's friends died in the battle.
Casimir Pulaski and his Legion rode south to Charleston to help the people there fight against the British. They went after the British as they tried to escape to sea. Casimir and his men won again, capturing many British troops and supplies. Then Pulaski and his troops went to Savannah to try to capture the city from the British. As they were planning, an American soldier named James Curry informed the British of their plans, so the British were ready for the attack. Because of this, the Americans lost the battle and Casimir Pulaski got shot during the battle. He was badly wounded. The wounds became infected, and he became sick and died. He died on October 11, 1779. He was only 32 years old.
It was a very important thing that the hero Casimir Pulaski came to defend the colonies in the fight against Great Britain, and that is why children in Illinois get a holiday off from school on the first Monday of March. We honor the memory of Casimir Pulaski.
Polonez - Pan Tadeusz
Casimir Pulaski (1745?-1779) is a hero of two countries, Poland and the United States. Pulaski (in Polish: Kazimierz Pulawski) was born in a small town near Warsaw, Poland during the mid-1740s. In 1768, Pulaski and his father Jozef founded the Confederation of the Bar to defend Poland against the aggressive Russian forces, which later arrested and killed Casimir's father. Unable to prevent the partition of Poland, Pulaski left Poland and lived in exile in Turkey and the Balkans between 1772 and 1775, and then to Paris where he met Benjamin Franklin. Franklin convinced him to support the colonies against England in the American Revolution.
Pulaski impressed with the ideals of a new nation struggling to be free, volunteered his services. In 1777, Pulaski arrived in Philadelphia where he met General Washington, Commander-in -Chief of the Continental Army. Later at Brandywine, he came to the aid of Washington's forces and distinguished himself as a brilliant military tactician. For his efforts, Congress appointed him Brigadier-General in charge of Four Horse Brigades. Then again, at the battles of Germantown and Valley Forge, Pulaski's knowledge of warfare assisted Washington and his men.
Later in 1778, through Washington's intervention, Congress approved the establishment of the Cavalry and put Pulaski at its head. The Father of the American Cavalry demanded much of his men and trained them in tested cavalry tactics. He used his own personal finances, when money from Congress was scarce, in order to assure his forces of the finest equipment and personal safety.
Pulaski and his legion were then ordered to defend Little Egg Harbor in New Jersey and Minisink on the Delaware and then south to Charleston, South Carolina. However, it was at the battle of Savannah in 1779 that General Pulaski, riding forth into battle on his horse, fell to the ground mortally wounded by the blast of cannon.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Papantonio and Joseph Stiglitz on the Economic Freefall
Papantonio and Joseph Stiglitz on the Economic Freefall
Its been almost two years since the economy began its downward spiral, and to this day the very folks on Wall Street who caused this mess are still sitting in powerful positions at the top of Americas financial services companies. If you examine the root causes of our current crisis, it becomes painfully obvious that the big bankers decided that they could take as much risk as possible without any regard to the well-being of their clients. As a result, banks lost money, their clients lost money, and taxpayers lost money when we had to bail them out. Mike Papantonio talks about how this started and what we need to do prevent another meltdown with Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, author of the new book Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.
PART 1
Papantonio and Joseph Stiglitz on the Economic Freefall - PT. 2/2
Charlie Rose Stiglitz and Ackman part 1 of 3
Economist Joseph Stiglitz, investor Bill Ackman (Pershing Square), and NY Times journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin discussed toxic assets, stress tests, bank bailout with Charlie Rose on April 24, 2009.
Its been almost two years since the economy began its downward spiral, and to this day the very folks on Wall Street who caused this mess are still sitting in powerful positions at the top of Americas financial services companies. If you examine the root causes of our current crisis, it becomes painfully obvious that the big bankers decided that they could take as much risk as possible without any regard to the well-being of their clients. As a result, banks lost money, their clients lost money, and taxpayers lost money when we had to bail them out. Mike Papantonio talks about how this started and what we need to do prevent another meltdown with Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz, author of the new book Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy.
PART 1
Papantonio and Joseph Stiglitz on the Economic Freefall - PT. 2/2
Charlie Rose Stiglitz and Ackman part 1 of 3
Economist Joseph Stiglitz, investor Bill Ackman (Pershing Square), and NY Times journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin discussed toxic assets, stress tests, bank bailout with Charlie Rose on April 24, 2009.
Friday, February 5, 2010
General Jaruzelski, Poland and end of the COLD WAR
General Jaruzelski, Poland and end of the COLD WAR
part 1
Towarzysz Generał 1/8
Towarzysz Generał 2/8
Towarzysz Generał 3/8
Towarzysz Generał 4/8
Towarzysz Generał 5/8
Towarzysz Generał 6/8
Towarzysz Generał 7/8
Towarzysz Generał 8/8
Some historians believe that Polish sea captain Jan z Kolna led a flotilla of Danish ships to the coast of Labrador and down to the Delaware River in 1476. That was 16 yeas before Columbus landed on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Since Jan z Kolna died during the Atlantic crossing back to Europe, his discovery did not receive much prominence and died a natural death.
* In addition to the powerful Roman Catholic Church, which commands the allegiance of more than 90% of all Poles, three other denominations have the word “Catholic” in their names.The biggest is the Polish Catholic Church (app. 40,000 members), a Polish spin-off from Polonia’s Polish National Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavites (20,000) and the Catholic Mariavite Church (5,000).
* Starting with deep economic chaos (including 800% inflation) when the communist system collapsed in 1989, by 1993 Poland had achieved a real growth rate of 2%. In 1995, Poland led all of Europe, not only the former Soviet bloc, with an impressive 6.5% annual economic growth rate. This year a 5% increase is expected — a very respectable figure. Political conflicts and frequent cabinet changes seem to have little impact on the economy which is developing according the reforms launched in 1990.
* The English word “billion” and the Polish word “bilion” do not mean the same thing. The English billion is a digit followed by 9 zeroes, whereas the Polish one entails 12 zeroes. In Polish the following numbers are used: milion (1,000,000), miliard (1,000,000,000) and bilion (1,000,000,000,000)
* The most honey is consumed in Poland during the winter months. It is used in Christmas baking — piernik, miodownik (gingerbread) — as well as in such Wigilia dishes as kluski z m1kiem and kutia. It is used to flavor krupnik (hot honey-spice cordial) and miodowka (honey- flavored vodka). Many Poles take miód (honey) to relieve the sore throats and coughs of the cold and flu season.
* The traditional four-cornered cap (rogatywka or konfederatka) worn by Poland’s military was done away with after World War II by the communists and restored by the communists in the early 1980s. The latter move was a ploy by communist strongman General Jaruzelski who tried in this way to prove he was a patriot and sugar-coat the bitter pill of martial law.
* Poland's longest river, the Vistula (Wisla), travels 1,047 (app. 630 miles) from south to north. It begins as a tiny trickle in the Tatra Mountains, is fed by brooks and streams and eventually turns into a mighty waterway which empties into the Baltic Sea.
* Despite the inroads made by sweet and sticky American-style soft drinks, more Poles (81%) still prefer mineral water as well as fruit and vegetable juices to Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta, Tonic, Seven-Up, etc. which is purchased by 66% of all consumers.
* Snow and cold failed to stop Warsaw's first St. Patrick's Day parade held in 1998. The event sponsored by a local Irish pub in cooperation with the Irish Embassy, featured bagpipers, dancers, clowns and floats. That night, Guinness as well as other brands of beer flowed freely to the tune of Irish ballads in the city's pubs.
* The 1920 Battle of Warsaw has been called the 18th most decisive battle in world history. Only several miles separated the invading Red Army from linking up with revolutionary forces in East Prussia, but the Polish Army smashed the red offensive at the gates of Warsaw and saved Europe from a bloody communist revolution.
* Although the United States has seven times the population of Poland, its people commit 20 times more murders. Roughly 1,000 murders a year are committed n the city of Chicago (population 3 million) each year, more than in all of Poland (population 39 million).
* Fuel consumption is measured in Poland not in terms of distance (miles per gallon), but in terms of how much fuel is needed to travel 100 kilometers (about 63 miles). This reporter's Polish-built Fiat Uno consumes some 7.5 liters over a distance of 100 km -- the equivalent of 50 miles per gallon.
* The medical specialist known in Polish as a 'stomatolog' does not specialize in treating stomach ailments. It means the same as 'dentysta' (dentist) and comes from the Greek word 'stoma' (mouth).
* The narrow back alleys, passageways, nooks, attics and cellars of Warsaw's quaint Old Town provided Polish freedom-fighters with get-away routes and hide-outs during the 19th-century anti-Russian insurrections, the anti-Nazi Warsaw Uprising (1944) and most recently martial law, declared in 1981 to crush Solidarnosc.
* During a recent visit to Warsaw, US Secretary of Defense William Cohen, who is of Jewish background, said he was proud that his ancestors originally came to America from the Bialystok region of northeastern Poland.
* There are no ushers in Poland's churches. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and in many churches much of the congregation stands along the walls and/or in the aisles during Mass.
* Edmund Obiala, a Polish engineer, is directing the construction of the huge Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia, which will play host to the next Olympic Games in the year 2000...
* The blue skyscraper in Warsaw's Bank Square was originally conceived as an office building, but was redesigned as a hotel in response to the late-1970s tourist boom. Martial law halted tourist traffic, so it was again redone as an office tower. More than a decade of weather damage to the unfinished building made completing the job extremely expensive.
* Most coffee consumed in Poland comes from Africa and Indonesia, rather than Latin America, which produces weaker-flavored varieties. Despite a TV advertising blitz pushing instant coffee (on which coffee companies make the biggest profits), ground coffee still accounts for 83% of sales in Poland.
* Poland is Europe's biggest producer of apple juice and frozen fruit, and ranks among the world's top producers of blackcurrants.
part 3
The closing times so typical of the English-speaking world are not rigorously observed in Poland. Many of the country's better restaurants and bars stay open until the last guest is ready to leave.
* Poland is one of the few countries whose armed forces and other unifo-rmed services wear a four-cornered cap patterned after the traditional 'rogatywka.' It is probably the only country where officers salute with only two fingers, and two fingers are also raised when taking an oath.
* 'Cracow' is the old-fashioned English spelling for Poland's old royal capital. The proper modern spelling is 'Krakow', and even more accurate is 'Kraków' (with an accent over the 'o').
Mother's Day ('Dzien Matki') is celebrated in Poland not on a Sunday but on May 26th, regardless of what day it falls on. Father's Day is unknown, but Grandmother's Day ('Dzien Babci') is celebrated on January 21st.
* Without additional information, it is impossible to correctly translate the word 'barn' into Polish. The reason is that a barn, in which hay and feed are stored, is called 'stodo3a', and one in which livestock is kept is known in Polish as 'obora'.
* One-fourth of the world's white storks make their home in Poland, where they are believed to bring good fortune to any farm on whose property they nest. Storks epitomize family values: they are faithful to their mates for life and take good care of both their young and their elderly.
* The typical word for 'hi' in Poland these days is 'czesc' which actually means 'honor'. Older Poles sometimes say 'serwus' or 'czolem' for 'hi'. The latter, incidentally, is the traditional greeting of the Polish Falcons of America.
* Names such as Kaczmarek and Wieczorek are most common in Silesia , Biegala and Przybylo in the mountainous Podhale region, and Rataj (plus derivatives: Ratajczak, Ratajski, etc.) in Wielkopolska (Poznan region).
* Poland has four registered churches with the word 'Catholic' in their official names. Besides the Roman Catholic Church, there is the Polish Catholic Church (50,000 followers), an offshoot of the Scranton-based Polish National Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavites (25,000) and the Catholic Mariavite Church (5,000) which actually has woman priests and bishops.
* Although soccer remains Poland's No. 1 sport, the number of Polish sports fans who regularly follow NBA basketball and NHL hockey is steadily growing. But, although Little League Baseball is spreading, there is little Polish interest in US Major League Baseball or Professional Football.
* Prior to Hitler's 1939 invasion, Poland had the world's most vibrant community of 3.5 million Jews. It included influential religious structures, a sizable Yiddish-language press, numerous Jewish schools, movie studios and other cultural facilities. Jews played a leading role in the business, industry, arts and letters, medicine and legal profession of pre-war Poland..
* The River Vistula (Wisla) cuts the country into the Russian-influenced tea-drinking east and the German-influenced coffee-drinking west. By and large, however, most coffee in Poland is consumed in social settings (the café scene, pastry & coffee parties) rather than being a utility beverage with which to wash down breakfast or a sandwich.
* Poles named Adam and Ewa (Eve) are the only people who do not normally celebrate their namedays. That is because theirs falls on December 24th, Wigilia — too solemn an occasion to worry about anyone's name day party.
* Personal computers are becoming widespread, and more and more Poles are surfing the Internet. But unlike the US, Poland went from the ballpen era straight to the computer age, skipping the intermediate typewriter stage. Most Polish computer users have never learned to type and never owned a typewriter.
* Polish Jews often have surnames derived from the names of countries, regions or localities. These include: Amsterdamski, Berlinski, Bielecki, Gdanski, Holender, Krakowski, Lubelski, Mazowiecki, Perski, Podolski, Poznanski, Siedlecki, Syryjczyk, Slaski, Turecki, Turek. Sometines they have German spellings: Danziger (Gdanski), Lubliner (Lubelski), Posener (Poznanski), etc.
* Moose, beavers and lynx have been reintroduced to the Kampinos Forest National Park just outside Warsaw and are adapting to their new surroundings favorably. Efforts are also under way to restore the area's flora- and fauna-rich wetlands which are drying up due to ill-conceived irrigation projects.
* Poland's largest-selling daily, 'Gazeta Wyborcza' (Election Gazette), got its name because it was originally set up to campaign for Solidarity candidates in the 1989 elections. Rather than representing Solidarity as a whole, it soon became the mouthpiece for its liberal intellectual fringe.
* The Human Massacre (Rzez Humanska) in Poland's eastern border-lands is the name given to a 1768 revolt by rampaging Ukrainian peasants who slaughtered Polish noblemen attempting to defend Jews.
* Warsaw is now Europe's third biggest construction site after Berlin and Moscow. Especially in Warsaw and other big cities, construction crews are working round-the-clock erecting skyscrapers, office towers, business centers, malls and fancy condominium complexes.
* Improved high-tech telephone links make it easier than ever to phone relatives and friends in Poland. Just dial: 0-00-48-area code-number.
* Before becoming king of Poland in 1632, for a brief period W3adys3aw IV was Czar of all the Russia. A revolt by Russian boyars (noblemen) overthrew him and expelled Polish occupation forces from the Kremlin. November 7th, the anniversary of that event, is now celebrated in Russia as Indepen-dence Day.
* So far, Poland has no capital gains tax. That means that profits earned on stocks and bonds are not subject to income tax. The interest earned on savings accounts and time certificates is also not regarded as taxable income.
* The American Polonia's oldest insurance fraternal is the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA), set up in 1873. The largest such organization is the Polish National Alliance (PNA), founded in 1880. Both fraternals are headquartered in Chicago.
* The Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the honorary leader of world Orthodoxy, recently prayed before the icon of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa during a visit to Poland. It was the first such event in history.
* Although in 7th place as in terms of area and population, Poland is no. 3 in Europe in terms of the number of dogs and cats per capita. Britain and France hold first and second place respectively.
* According to American flag etiquette, when an American and Polish flag are displayed crossed, the Stars and Stripes should be on the viewer's left and the white and red Polish banner on the right. When the anthems of the two countries are performed at public events, 'Jeszcze Polska nie zgine3a" should come first, followed by "The Star-Spangled Banner."
* Centuries ago it was said that the best Poland had to offer included a boot from Warsaw, a 'piernik' (honey-spice cake) from Torun, vodka from Gdansk and a maiden from Krakow.
* Polish soldiers are now serving in international peace-keeping forces in Bosnia, Lebanon and Syria and are on the scene as observers in Asia, the Caucusus and Africa. Several years ago they took part in a peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
* Film director Jerzy Hoffman's recently released movie 'Ogniem i mieczem' ('With Fire and Sword') has broken all attendance records in Poland, and more people saw it during the first week than runner-up 'Titanic'. Based on Henryk Sienkiewicz's epic historical novel dealing with the Poland's bloody 17th-century conflict with the Cossacks, it is Poland's most expensive movie and cost $8.5 million to produce.
* In 1999, the following legal holidays (when schools and nearly all workplaces get the day off) are being observed: New Year's Day (Jan. 1), Easter (April 5-6), May Day (May 1), Constitution Day (May 3), Corpus Christi (June 3), Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15), All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and Christmas (Dec. 25-26).
* Rogalin near Poznan has Europe's largest concentration of old oak trees. There are about 1,000 old trees in what now is a protected nature reserve ranging from two to nine meters (six to 18 feet) in circumference. Elegant Raczynki Palace with its formal gardens is another local tourist attraction.
* The older generation in some parts of Poland still uses the term 'slawojka' to mean outhouse. The privy got named after Felicjan Slawoj-Skladowski (1885-1962), the prime minister in the 1930s, who launched a campaign to build outhouses in the more backward parts of the countryside.
* The smallest denomination Polish banknote currently in circulation has a value of 10 zlotys ($2.66), for which you can buy a Whopper, fries and coke at Burger King; the largest is the 200-zloty note (about $53) which will buy a bottle of good Scotch in Poland.
* Polish-born pontiff John Paul II, former Krakow Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, has beatified and canonized about as many servants of God in 20 years' time as were raised to the altar over the past 400 years. During his planned June pilgrimage to Poland he is expected to beatify 108 victims of World War II.
* Poland's first bishopric, set up in Poznan in the year 986, is the final resting place of Prince Mieszko I, the country's first historical ruler, and his son Boleslaus the Brave (Boles3aw Chrobry), Poland's first crowned monarch.
* This year Poland is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), the world-famous composer. The occasion is being marked with jubilee concerts, exhibitions, commemorative postage stamps and new publications dedicated to his life and works.
* The statue of Poland's King Zygmunt III was the first secular figure to be placed atop a column anywhere in Europe. His son, King Wladyslaw IV, to commemorate his father's transfer of Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596, built it in 1644.
* Poland's biggest skansen (outdoor ethnographic museum) is located in the southern city of Sanok. A total of 113 buildings, including thatched-roof peasant cottages, old mills, inns and chapels have been reconstructed over a nearly 100-acre site where they may be admired by visitors.
* There is no one word for 'pal-lbearer' in Polish, because carrying a coffin was not regarded as a special custom or institution. Mortuary attendants, gravediggers or family friends can be called on to perform this task, but Poles never saw any reason for giving it a special name.
* Exiled Polish King Stanislaw Leszczynski (1677-1766) is credited with having introduced the French to two specialties of Polish cuisine: bigos (meat & sauerkraut stew), which is known in France as choucrôute garni, and baba (tall yeast-raised egg bread), which the French developed into one of their favorite desserts: baba au rhum.
* All of the some 4,000 European bison found in zoos and nature preserves around the world have Polish roots. After World War I and again after World War II Polish breeders rebuilt the country's bison herd almost from scratch and subsequently shared their breeding material with other countries. At present about 600 'zubry' (bison) roam at liberty in Poland's forests.
* The agrarian origin of the ancient Poles is evidenced by the Slavic names for basic tools: lopata (spade), widly (pitch-fork), sierp (sickle), siekiera (axe), gwozdz (ordinary nail), woz (cart, wagon) and socha (primitive plow). But Poles borrowed from Germans the names of more sophisticated implements including plug (more refined plow), sruba (screw), bretnal (board-nail), szprycha (spoke) and durszlak (colander).
* Completed in 1502, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kosciol Mariacki) in Gdansk took 123 years to build. Said to accommodate 20,000 people, it is Poland's biggest house of worship and one of Europe's largest Gothic brick churches.
* Completed in 1502, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kosciol Mariacki) in Gdansk took 123 years to build. Said to accommodate 20,000 people, it is Poland's biggest house of worship and one of Europe's largest Gothic brick churches.
* Polish numbers are rather difficult for foreigners to master, and the numeral two is undoubtedly the most troublesome since it has all of 13 different forms: dwa, dwaj, dwie, dwu, dwoch, dwom, dwom, dwoma, dwiema, dwoje, dwojga, dwojgu & dwojgiem.
* The fabled painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa is a 11th - 12th-century Byzantine icon offered to the Pauline monastery by Prince Wladys3aw of Opole in 1384. According to legend, it was painted by St Matthew on the table-top of the Holy Family in Nazareth.
* The standard Polish flag is divided equally into a white horizontal top half and a crimson bottom half. The national crest, acrowned white eagle on a redshield, should be flown only by Polish ships at sea and Polish diplomatic legations abroad. Turned upside down (with the red half at the top), Poland's colors become the national flag of Indonesia.
* The agrarian origin of the ancient Poles is evidenced by the Slavic names for basic tools: lopata (spade), widly (pitch-fork), sierp (sickle), siekiera (axe), gwozdz (ordinary nail), woz (cart, wagon) and socha (primitive plow). But Poles borrowed from Germans the names of more sophisticated implements including plug (more refined plow), sruba (screw), bretnal (board-nail), szprycha (spoke) and durszlak (colander).
* 'Czernina' (also spelled 'czarnina') is better known across Polonia than in Poland. Board of health regulations now prevent the sale of blood in butcher shops, so only those who raise their own poultry or know someone who does can regularly enjoy the soup.
* The Human Massacre (Rzez humanska) in Poland's eastern borderlands is the name given to a 1768 revolt by rampaging Ukrainian peasants who slaughtered Polish noblemen attempting to defend Jews.
* Warsaw is now Europe's third biggest construction site after Berlin and Moscow. Especially in Warsaw and other big cities, construction crews are working round-the-clock erecting skyscrapers, office towers, business centers, malls and fancy condominium complexes.
* Improved high-tech telephone links makes it easier than ever to phone relatives and friends in Poland. Just dial: 0-00-48-area code-number.
* Before becoming king of Poland in 1632, for a brief period Wladyslaw IV was Czar of all the Russias. A revolt by Russian boyars (noblemen) overthrew him and expelled Polish occupation forces from the Kremlin. November 7th, the anniversary of that event, is now celebrated in Russia as Independence Day.
* So far, Poland has no capital gains tax. That means that profits earned on stocks and bonds are not subject to income tax. The interest earned on savings accounts and time certificates is also note regarded as taxable income.
* The American Polonia's oldest insurance fraternal is the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA), set up in 1873. The largest such organization is the Polish National Alliance (PNA), founded in 1880. Both fraternals are headquartered in Chicago.
* The Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the honorary leader of world Orthodoxy, recently prayed before the icon of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa during a visit to Poland. It was the first such event in history.
* Although in 7th place as regards area and population, Poland is No. 3 in Europe in terms of the number of dogs and cats per capita. Britain and France hold first and second place respectively.
* According to American flag etiquette, when an American and Polish flag are displayed crossed, the Stars on Stripes should be on the viewer's left and the white and red Polish banner on the right. When the anthems of the two countries are performed at public events, 'Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" should come first, followed by 'The Star-Spangled Banner".
* In one of its promotional campaigns, McDonald's announced 'Los Tygodnios Mexicanos' (Mexican weeks) in its Polish outlets and featured a spicy chicken cutlet on a bun called -- believe it or not -- 'El Kurczako'.
* Poles males often remember their army days in terms of humiliating hazing, time-wasting make-work, nasty drill sergeants, crack-of-dawn military exercises, poor lodgings and horrible food. One thing most of them recall with nostalgia is 'soldiers' pea soup' (zolnierska grochowka) -- exceptionally delicious because it slowly simmers in huge kettles for many long hours.
* An 18,000-sqaure-foot combined Polish Cultural Center, mini-mall and business complex are being planned in a prime area of Las Vegas, which has an estimated 35,000 Polish Americans. Information on the project can be obtained from the developer, Zbigniew Krowicki, at (702) 263-8031.
* Each year about $80 million worth of raw amber is smuggled from Russia's Baltic enclave, known as the Kaliningrad district, to Poland and Germany. There, the fossilized Baltic resin is cut and polished into jewels of true beauty.
* The American banking family of Chase (as in Chase Manhattan) is descended from Polish Jews whose original name was Ciesla (which means 'carpenter' in Polish).
* A Pole who has the letters 'Dr' before his name is not necessarily a medical doctor. Anyone who has a Ph.D., in economy, biology, history, theology, chemistry, political science or any other field, is entitled to have a 'doctor' before his name.
* Buffalo-area native, Pol-Am James Pawelczyk, who traveled into space in 1998 aboard NASA's neurolab, was the world's third Polish astronaut. The first was Miroslaw Hermaszewski who orbited the earth aboard a Soviet Soyuz-30 satellite in 1978. The second was Polish-American Scott Parazynski, a medical doctor, whose first trip into space took place in 1992.
* Until the dawn of the computer age, the American at-sign (@) was largely unknown to Poles who used the French letter 'a' for that purpose. Now the @ is widely known as part of e-mail addresses and is referred to in Polish as 'malpka' (little monkey), because it is perceived as a monkey encircled by its own tail.
* 'Województwo Lubuskie' is the only one of Poland's 16 new voivodships (provinces) named after a city in a foreign country. Lubusz, the city from which it got its name, is in Germany where it is called 'Lebus' (pronounced: LAY-bus). Zielona Gora is therefore the administrative center of the new voivodship.
Contrary to prevailing Western stereotypes that consign Poland to 'Eastern Europe', our ancestral homeland is actually situated in the very heart of Europe. The town of Suchowola in northeastern Podlasie (Bia3ystok) voivodship (province) is located at the very geographic center of the European continent.
* Some Pol-Ams were surprised when Pope John Paul II canonized St Jadwiga (Hedwig) during his June '99 trip to Poland, saying things like 'we've had a St. Hedwig's Parish in our town for years.' But that Hedwig (1174-1243) was a Silesian princess. The recently canonized Jadwiga (1373-1399) was Queen of Poland at the side of King Wladyslaw Jagiello.
* Many Poles dab themselves with a cotton ball saturated with vanilla extract to keep mosquitoes away.
* According to Polish folk belief, it is unlucky to get married in any month that does not have the letter 'r in its name. In Polish such unlucky months are: styczen (January), luty (February), kwiecien (April), maj (May), lipiec (July) and listopad (November). As of January 1999, foreign companies had invested at least $30.6 billion in direct investments in Poland - more than in any other country of Central or Eastern Europe.
* Thirty-six Polonian folk-dance ensembles from 12 different countries took part in the 1999 edition of the World Festival of Polonian Folk Ensembles, held in the southern city of Rzeszów in July. The festival was launched in 1969 and has been held every three years ever since.
* This year's St Patrick's Day festivities in Warsaw included the traditional parade and an Irish Ball at the Sheraton Hotel, featuring a steak dinner, followed by Irish coffee and 'all the booze you can drink' for $100.
* In Polish, 'Asia' is not a continent. It is pronounced AH-shah and is the endearing form of the name 'Joanna' (yo-AHN-nah). The continent is known as 'Azja' (AHZ-yah).
* Polish is now being used as much as Spanish in the liturgy of Chicagoland's Roman Catholic parishes. That information was brought to light at the Polish-American Priests Association's April 1999 convention in Washington, DC.
* Icchak Cukierman, one of the leaders of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, wrote: 'There are Poles we have ruined. We disrupted their lives when their houses were burned down and their possessions lost. What magnificent people! Whoever harbors general hatred towards the Polish nation is committing a grave wrong. In Warsaw alone some 40,000 people helped in one way or another to alleviate the plight of Jews.'
* Poland's nearly two-century-long Golden Age coincided with the rule of the Jagiellonian Dynasty (1385-1573), when Poland was the biggest country in Europe. This multinational commonwealth of Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Jews, Armenians, Tartars, etc. straddled the continent from the Baltic to the Black Sea and witnessed the dynamic growth of trade, the arts, crafts and learning.
* Morgan's Pub is a genuine Irish saloon operated in Warsaw (ul. Okólnik 1, phone: 826-8138) by Irishman Ollie Morgan and his sons: Tom, Maurice and Sean. n More than 62% of all Poles now live in cities and towns. Of the 38% living in rural areas, about one-half are gainfully employed in agriculture.
* Things that set Poland apart include the four-cornered hat ('rogatywka') of soldiers and other uniformed services, the two-finger salute, the two-finger raised-hand oath and the chivalrous custom of kissing women's hands. Under the influence of Hollywood and MTV, the latter (hand-kissing) will probably not survive long into the 21st century.
* Kielbasa is indeed a widespread Polish specialty, but Polish Americans visiting Poland for the first time are surprised to find that it is rarely served hot as a main course. Poles mainly regard it as a cold cut and eat cold smoked kie3basa for breakfast, supper and trips (in sandwiches).
* Contrary to widespread Polonian practice, Chester, Mitchell, Walter, Stanley, Stella and Bernice are not the correct translations of the Polish names Czeslaw, Mieczyslaw, Wladyslaw, Stanislaw, Stanislawa and Bronislawa respectively.Linguistically speaking, the true equivalents are Ceslaus, Miecislaus, Ladislaus, Stanislaus, Stanislava and Bronislava.
* Since the exchange rate during summer '99 was from 3.89 to 3.98 zlotys to the dollar, Polish Americans visiting Poland this year found it easy to roughly calculate prices by regarding each zloty as a US quarter.
* Poland has a population density of 320 people per square mile, compared with 606 for Germany and 276 for France. The most sparsely populated area are Bieszczady Mountains in the southeast, a rugged wilder-ness where wolves and bears are still encountered.
* Polish women over 85 who were named after the Blessed Virgin have had to change the spelling of their names three times. Before World War I it was spelled 'Marya', between the two World Wars it became 'Marja', and since the Second World War it has been 'Maria'.
* The August 1999 solar eclipse, which could be seen in its entirety in neighboring Germany and other countries, was only from 80% to 95% visible in Poland, wherever cloud cover did not obscure it from view. Kraków had its last total solar eclipse in 1415, when King Wladyslaw Jagiello sat on the throne. The next one is due in the year 2135.
* The high point of Christmas for culturally aware Polish-Americans is not Christmas Day, but Wigilia (Christmas Eve), when oplatek is shared, traditional meatless delicacies are enjoyed, koledy are sung, and the Pasterka (Shepherds' Mass) is the crowning touch of the evening. Unlike Anglos and other non-Polonians, Pol-Am kids get to open their presents on the evening of December 24th without having to wait till the following morning.
* The best and most complete book in English on Wigilia is Father Czeslaw Krysa's 'A Polish Christmas Eve'. Jam-packed with historical glimpses, nostalgic recollections and Christmas lore as well as customs, recipes, home-made ornaments and much more, it is available at: PAJ Bookstore, 1275 Harlem Road, Buffalo, NY 14206; Internet: http://www.polamjournal.com
* In the olden days Advent, like Lent, lasted 40 days and started in mid-November. St. Martin's Day (Nov. 11) was celebrated as the last outburst of revelry. Today that period of spiritual preparation is two weeks shorter, and St Andrew's Eve (Nov. 30) is the final fling of pre-Advent merriment.
* The first star to appear in the sky on Christmas Eve is the signal for the festivities to commence. This is good example of how legend and practicality have long intermingled in Polish tradition: sighting the first star was a job given to the youngest child who stood transfixed at the window and kept out of the way as last-minute preparations were under way.
* Hungarian-born Saint Queen Jadwiga (Hedwig), canonized by Pope John Paul II during his June 1999 visit to Poland, first introduced Poles to Roraty (early-morning Advent Mass) and jase3ka (nativity play) which have been an integral part of Polish Christmas celebrations ever since.
* If you need information on Polish Christmas traditions or any other holidays and customs, please phone: the Polish Department of St. Mary's College, Orchard Lake, Mich. at 1-900-370-POLE (7653).
* In the old American Polonia (late 19th/early 20th centuries), the December gift-giver was referred to more often as Gwiazdor (Christmas Man) than Swiety Miko3aj. That was because the earliest Polish immigrants came from Prussian-occupied Poland, where a secularized Weihnachstmann (bearded, robed but unbishop like Christmas gift-giver) was strongly promoted to offset the Polish-style St. Nick.
* To this day, the Christmas season in Poland lasts not only until January 6th (Feast of the Three Kings), but all the way to February 2nd (Candlemas or Feast of the Purification of the BVM), when the last koledy are sung at church.
* A slice of ordinary rye bread sprinkled with sugar was once a rare Christmas treat to youngsters in the poorest parts of Poland, especially the hard-scrabble mountain regions of the south.
* The word 'oplatek' (Christmas wafer) is believed to have come from the Latin term 'oblata' which meant an offering or gift. It was also used to denote the consecrated Host. The two wafers are similar because when we break op3atek we enter into spiritual communion with those we share it with.
* On the forthcoming Feast of the Three Kings, also known as the Epiphany (January 6th), Poles and Polish Americans not ashamed of their heritage will inscribe the formula K+M+B 2000 over the doorways of their homes with chalk blessed in church. Those are the initials of the Three Kings or Wisemen (in Polish: Kacper, Melchior and Baltazar) and the current year.
* The basic Christmas vocabulary every Pol-Am should know includes: Boze Narodzenie (Christmas), Gwiazdka (another name for Christmas), Wigilia (Christmas Eve), oplatek (Christmas wafer), siano (hay), choinka (Christmas tree), koleda (carol), kolednicy (carolers), zlobek (Christmas crib), jaselka (nativity play) and Herody (humorous skit about the evil King Herod).
* A small, inexpensive but fairly comprehensive book on the traditions of Polish Yuletide is 'Christmas the Polish Way.' It is available for $6 a copy post-paid from: Youth & Education Department, Polish Union of America, 1004 Pittston Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505.
* Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia (Happy Christmas Holidays), often shortened simply to Wesolych Swiat (Happy Holidays), is the Polish way of saying Merry Christmas. Often added are the New Year's wishes: ...i szczesliwego Nowego Roku.
* Christmas Eve lore usually has to do with the marital prospects of eligible girls. A ripe, golden blade of hay pulled from under the table-cloth was said to mean a girl would marry before Ash Wednesday; a green one meant another year of maidenhood, and a withered blade foretold the life of an old maid.
* Apart from herring, the two main Wigilia fish are the szczupak (pike) and karp (carp). The pike's head, if expertly taken apart, contains bones foretelling Christ's Crucifixion: a cross, ladder, hammer, spear and nails. A scale from the Christmas carp in one's wallet was said to attract money all year long.
* When sending a Christmas card to someone special you won't see in person over Christmas, add a piece of op3atek, from which you have broken off and eaten a small piece. That way you will have shared op3atek with that person over the miles. If you find it difficult getting oplatek in your area, contact: Christmas Wafers Bakery, PO Box 99, Lewiston, NY 14092
* In Polish tradition, Christmas is less about presents and more about family togetherness, forgiving past wrongs and reminiscing about family members that have gone on to their reward; it combines the things most Poles cherish the most: God, country and family.
* Poles will be cheated out of two free days this year, because Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and the Second Day of Christmas on a Sunday. Both the 25th and 26th are public holidays when they fall during the week. Poles get half a day off on Christmas Eve.
* The melody of that beloved, sweet and gentle lullaby-carol 'Lulajze, Jezuniu' was incorporated by Poland's world-renowned 19th-century composer, Frédéric Chopin, into one of his scherzos.
* Before the Christmas tree was introduced from Germany, Poles decorated their homes with an evergreen bough (known as sad, pod3aYnik or pod3aYniczka); it was suspended from the rafters and decorated with nuts, gingerbread, almond confections and fruits as well as home-made ornaments fashioned from paper, straw, egg-shells and op3atek.
* It is traditional to have an additional place-setting at the Wigilia table. It is usually in memory of a departed family member but may be offered to a wayward traveler, lonely stranger or anyone who would otherwise have to spend the evening in solitude.
* Today it is still common to scatter a handful of hay on the table-top before covering it with a pure-white table-cloth for Wigilia supper. Some families only place a small ribbon-tied bunch of hay on the plate with the op3atek. In the olden days, peasants used to scatter straw on the floor, tie the table legs with straw and stand sheaves of unthreshed grain in all four corners of the room.
* If you have drifted away from yours Polish heritage, perhaps this is the year to enrich your family's holiday celebrations with the real thing. For information on how to go about it, ask around in your Pol-Am club, parish or neighborhood. Or read up on your Christmas heritage (see following entry).
* A leading source of Polish Christmas-related books, recordings, crafts, decorations, gift items and delicacies is the following mail-order firm: The Polish Art Center, 9539 Joseph Campau Avenue, Hamtramck, MI 48212; phone: (313) 874-2242; fax: 874-1302; Internet: http://www.polartcenter.com
* Polish-style caroling involves masqueraders, with an Angel, Devil, Grim Reaper and King Herod regarded as the core group. A large pole-mounted star and/or a Christmas crib (sometimes in the form of a puppet stage) were carried by the revelers. Other characters include the Three Kings, a soldier, Gypsy, Jewish merchant and, in the Krakow area, also a Lajkonik (Tartar horseman).
* Another form of Christmas house-to-house masquerading is the customs known as Stare Jozefy (Old Josephs). Usually farm hands attach beards made of hemp, don sheepskin jackets fleece-side-out and travel through the village supported by long staffs. In a manner somewhat reminiscent of St. Nicholas, they ask kids if they have been behaving, but mostly they enjoy frightening youngsters and ask the head of the household for treats.
* In the olden days, kutia or kucja, a Christmas Eve wheat-grain dessert flavored with honey, nuts and poppyseeds, had a ritual significance. Spoonfuls of the sticky pudding were flung at the ceiling. The more that stuck, the better luck and prosperity the household was believed to enjoy the following year. That is the name given to the priest's house-to-house pastoral visits which begin after the Feast of the Three Kings. The priest visits parishioners, prays with the family, blesses the home, updates the parish records and receives a koleda (free-will offering) from the family.
* Krakow in early December is the scene of a unique creche-making contest. The Krakow Creche (szopka krakowska) resembles a magnificent cathedral and is fashioned from cardboard and/or plywood and decorated with shimmering multi-colored foil. Chicago's Polish Museum of America has done much to popularize the szopka krakowska which may range from several inches to more than 10 feet in size.
* St. Stephen's Day, or the Second day of Christmas (Dec. 26), is also a legal holiday in Poland. In churches parishioners bring oats to church to be blessed and threw them at the priest and one another to commemorate the stoning of St. Stephen the martyr.
* To Poles, Wigilia (Christmas Eve) is not only the single most important day of the Christmas season but of the entire year. Emergency workers (policemen, firemen, medical staff, etc.), who have to work over Christmas, gladly work on December 25th, if only to be with their loved ones on the 24th.
* The Polish Christmas season stretches all the way from the start of Advent (late November/early December) to Candlemas (Matki Boskiej Gromniczna) celebrated on February 2nd. The gromnica (lightning-bolt candle) is a tall beeswax candle that was lighted during thunderstorms as well as at the bedside of the seriously ill and dying. In Polish folk culture, the Blessed Mother's candle was also believed to ward off wolves as seen in the accompanying drawing.
part 8
* To this day nobody knows the identity of a mysterious caller who phoned Sikorski's London office of Polish Commander-in-Chief Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski and predicted his death several weeks before his fatal plane crash off Gibraltar in May 1943.
* Poland had 2 million people in 1340, compared with Spain's 5 million. By 1600, Poland with 7.5 million was catching up to Spain's 8 million, and in 1772 Poland had a population of 11.5 million, 2 million more than Spain. At present both countries' population is approaching 40 million.
* Annual consumption of all alcoholic beverages in Poland has fallen since the collapse of communism from more than 11 to 8.6 liters per capita (calculated in terms of pure alcohol). The proportion of beer and wine has increased, with hard liquor (mainly vodka) accounting for only about 50% of the alcohol now being sold.
* Poland recently commemorated the 60th anniversary of its war-time education system. During the Nazi occupation period Poland's had occupied Europe's most extensive clandestine school network, operated at the risk of their lives by some 20,000 teachers.
* There are an estimated 500,000 people who stutter in Poland, and they even have their own association. At meetings the problems faced by stutterers are discussed and members are urged not to be ashamed of their disability which had afflicted such greats as Aristotle and Churchill.
* The Polish word kolacja (supper) came from the Italian word colazione (breakfast), so somehow its meaning changed in the transition.
* The average Polish monthly industrial-sector wage is about $435, but many people (teachers, nurses, sales clerks, policemen) earn in the neighborhood of $200. An inexpensive small car costs $4,500, a pint of inexpensive vodka runs $6.50 and two small hamburgers and a large order of fries is $4.50 at Burger King.
* A marathon race is held on the anniversary of Father Jerzy Popieluszko's death along his final 110-kilometer (68-mile) road between Bydgoszcz, where he celebrated his last mass, to W3oclawek where he was killed by the communist secret police in 1984.
* The New York-based Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences has recently set up an archival information center at its website (www.piasa.org) to help Polish Americans collect and preserve family data as well as records of Polonian organizations.
* The name Poland comes from Polanie (field-dwellers), an early Slavic tribe that inhabited what is now Great Poland (the Poznan region). The Polanians eventually conquered neighboring tribes and began consolidating what would eventually become the first Polish state.
* Jerzy Buzek, a Lutheran affiliated with the Solidarity bloc (AWS), is Poland's eighth and longest-serving prime minister since the collapse of communism in 1989. A chemical-engineering professor and former underground Solidarity activist, he has headed the current government since autumn 1997.
* If you are a professional person of Polish descent, you should look into what the Association of Polish-American Professionals has to offer. Simply visit website: http://www.informatics.sunysb.edu/apap/
* Today's Poland has an area of 312,383 square kilometers (120,728 square miles) and a population of 38.6 million, 97% of whom are ethnic Poles. Germans, Ukrainians, Belarussians, Lithuanians and others account for the remaining 3%.
* 62-year-old retired coal-miner Oswald Gorecki of Zabrze has built a model of the Eiffel Tower using 450,000 wooden matches. The spent about three hours a day on the project which took him for years to complete.
* The pioneering research of Polish mathematical logician Jan Lukasiewicz (1878-1956) led to the development of the pocket calculators so common today.
* If you or someone you know runs a supermarket or deli, be sure to inquire about a variety of imported Polish jams, pickles, mushrooms, syrups, instant soups, cake mixes, vodka, etc.: Adamba Imports, 585 Meserole St, Brooklyn, NY 11237; phone: (718) 628-9700; website: www.adamba@cncdsl.com Previously we gave the wrong website.
* Contrary to Polish-American custom, Mitchell, Walter and Stanley are NOT the linguistic equivalents of the similar-sounding Mieczys3aw, W3adys3aw and Stanis3aw respectively. Their true equivalents are Miecislaus, Ladislaus and Stanislaus.
* Basia Dziewanowska, a Polish folklorist who displays, sells and lectures on Polish folk art, is preparing the definitive English-language book on Polish costumes. It will contain not only pictures and descriptions of folk attire from different parts of Poland but also patterns for those who want to sew their own. For information contact the author at: 41 Katherine Rd, Watertown, MA 02472; phone: (617) 926-8048.
* If we exclude the letters q, v and x (which occur only in a few foreign borrowings) and add nine special accented letters (1, e, 3, ?, a, n, ó, o, Y), the Polish alphabet comprises 32 letters, rather than the 26 of the English alphabet. (See following entry.)
* The longest word in the Polish language is Konstantynopolitanczykowianeczka. It means a little girl from Constantinopole, contains the same number of letters as the whole Polish alphabet (32) and is rarely used for any purpose other than to be cited as the longest Polish word.
* Betlejem (Bethlehem) is a tiny hamlet near the southeastern Polish town of Jaros3aw with a total population of 50. Nobody knows how its name originated, but some of the oldest residents think someone once built a wayside shrine to the Holy Family there.
* An easy and inexpensive way to expose children to their heritage are the 'Polish Kid's Corner' books by Basia Fr1ckiewicz of Buffalo. They contain customs, tales, folkcrafts (pisanki, wycinanki, etc.), historical trivia, even easy recipes, designed to stimulate the imagination of Pol-Am youngsters. For information contact: Buffalo Standard Printing, 3620 Harlem Rd, Cheektowaga, NY 14215; phone: (716) 835-9454.
* The full name of the popular Polish blood sausage containing groats and chopped variety meats is kiszka kaszana (roughly translatable as 'groaty casing' or 'encased groats'). In Poland this sausage is widely known today as kaszanka (from the second of the two words), whilst in Polonia kiszka (the first word of the two) is more prevalent.
* A middle-aged woman, who was once a computer-science teacher but later went into the hotel business, set up Poland's first women's website. It can be visited at http://www.kobiety.pl
* In the Poland of yesteryear many musicians were Jewish, hence such common Jewish last names as Kantor (cantor), Singer (singer), Fiedler (fiddler) and Spielmann (roving minstrel). Often the Yiddish names were translated into Polish (Opiewak, Grajek, Grajkowski, Grajewski) or given Polish spellings (Szpilman).
* The word 'light' on beer sold in Poland could be a selling point because anything in English is considered trendy. But the same word in Polish, 'lekkie', would turn beer-lovers away by revealing its lower-than-average alcohol content. Most Polish beer has from 5.5 to 6.2% alcohol; light beers are those with 5.4% or less.
* St Mary's Basilica of Gdansk, built between 1343 and 1502, is Europe's largest Gothic-style brick church. It is said to accommodate a congregation of 10,000.
* Each year in September an Archeological Festival is held in Biskupin (about 20 miles from Gniezno), where an ancient timber settlement has been reconstructed. During the event, visitors may watch demonstrations of primitive handicrafts and re-enactments of life as it was believed to have been in the 17th century BC during
* The foods bigos (meat & sauerkraut ragout) and pasztet (pâté) are used in colloquial Polish to mean a mix-up or mess, and klops (meatloaf) can mean a flop or failure. English also uses food terms such as pickle to mean trouble and fine kettle of fish to mean a mess.
* For information on how you can enjoy Polish satellite TV in your own living room, including Polish movies dubbed into English, phone 1-877-843-9788 or visit websites: www.kbs.tv.com or www.dishnetwork.com
* January 21st and 22nd are celebrated in Poland as Grandmother's and Grandfather's Day respectively. Kindergartners and grade-schoolers usually make their own greeting cards for their Babcia and Dziadzio, and older kids use their spending money to buy them flowers or other gifts.
* Polish forces are currently serving in United Nations peace-keeping operations in such places as Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Georgia (the former Soviet republic, not the US state), Israel and Korea.
* The name Polabians (Polabianie means those whose lands stretch all the way to the Laba [Polish for Elbe]) indicates that the Poles' early Slav ancestors once inhabited all of what would later become East Germany. Pomerania (Pomorze), Polish for 'up to the sea', is another indication that Germanization was a much later development.
* Chopin and Belvedere brands are imported from Poland as the world's top-of-the-line gourmet vodkas which sell in the US for around $30. a fifth (750 ml). Russia's Stolichnaya and Sweden's Absolut are poor man's drinks by comparison
* Poland's most impressive Passion Play tales place each year in Kalwaria Zebrzydowski in the south. The story of Jesus' Passion and Death is re-enacted by seminarians and townspeople in a setting designed to resemble the Garden of Olives, Pontius Pilate's Palace, the house of the Last Supper and Mount Calvary.
* The Baranek Wielkanocny, or Easter Lamb, is traditionally portrayed with a cross-emblazoned banner to symbolize the Risen Christ. They range in size from 1-2" to several feet and may be edible (rock candy, butter, white chocolate, bread or cake dough) or inedible (wood, plaster, fleece, plastic).
* For all your Polish Easter needs (including Polish palms, wooden pisanki and egg-coloring kits, Easter Lambs and lamb butter molds, greetings cards, recorded Easter hymns and assorted gifts and crafts) contact Polish Art Center at (313) 874-2242, e-mail: raymond@polartcenter.com or visit their website at http://www.polartcenter.com
* In some villages on Holy Wednesday, youngsters destroy and drown a straw effigy of Judas. The dark-clad scarecrow-type figure is hurled from the church tower into the street below, where it is pounced on by stick-wielding boys, dragged through the village and dumped in the nearest river or pond.
* Easter Monday has always been a legal holiday in Poland, and even the communists did not dare do away with that tradition. They also left the Second Day of Christmas (Dec. 26) and Corpus Christi on the calendar of legal holidays.
* If you don't feel like baking an Easter babka from scratch this year and there isn't a good Polish bakery nearby, try Polonia's first cyber-babka available over the Internet. Check it out at website www.eBabka.com
* The tableau of Christ's Tomb in Polish churches differs from place to place. The lifeless figure of Jesus may be displayed in a papier-mâché grotto or be surrounded by lush greenery, flowers and candles. Honor guards in historic dress or contemporary uniforms may keep watch over the tomb.
* The blessing of Easter baskets, together with the Christmas Eve op3atek-sharing custom, are Poland's most widely practiced holiday traditions. Big baskets containing most of the Easter meal are more typical in the countryside, while in big cities smaller, more symbolic baskets tend to be more common.
* Two weeks before Easter, oats are sown in a flower pot full of soil or garden cress seeds (Cardamine pratensis) are scattered in damp gauze or cotton. This produces a bed of fresh green grass in which to place the Easter Lamb.
* Michigan's Kowalski Sausage Co. will ship its excellent Polish kielbasa anywhere in the US including Alaska and Hawaii. For details call 1-800-482-2400 or (313) 873-8200 or visit website: www.kowality.com For Easter ask about their combination #1300 which includes fresh and smoked kie3basa, cottage ham, sauerkraut and horseradish.
* Emaus, the New Testament town to which Jesus was seen journeying after His Resurrection, is the name of a traditional church fair held in Kraków on Easter Monday. It was frequented by throngs of strollers who youngsters eagerly visited the stalls full of treats and old-fashion toys, enjoyed riding swings and merry-go-rounds and listening to the music of organ-grinders.
* Another Kraków custom was Rekawka (The Sleeve) on Easter Tuesday. Townsfolk, would gather on the mound (man-made hill) commemorating the city's legendary founder Krak (or Krakus) and eggs, apples and other owiecone leftovers to the poor, beggars, impoverished students and other needy people waiting at the foot of the mound.
* You can have traditional owiecone fare -- ham, kielbasa, smoked meats, horseradish, cwikla, rye bread, babka and other seasonal treats -- delivered to your doorstep by Polana, America's largest Polish-style on-line and phone-order food firm. For information phone toll-free 1-888-POLANA-1 or visit website www.polana.com
* A common Easter game is the egg race, in which Easter eggs are rolled down an inclined plank or slope with the one rolling the farthest being the winner. In a Silesian version of the custom, there is an indentation or hole at the end of the slope and the object is to have the rolling egg fall into it the way a golf ball does.
* Easter Monday in today's Poland is mainly drenching day. When youngsters cannot find girls to splash, they turn their buckets and plastic squirters on one another.
* The foods bigos (meat & sauerkraut ragout) and pasztet (pâté) are used in colloquial Polish to mean a mix-up or mess, and klops (meatloaf) can mean a flop or failure. English also uses food terms such as pickle to mean trouble and fine kettle of fish to mean a mess.
* Poland's top-priority foreign-policy goal of joining to the European Union in 2003 appears to have faded. Since negotiations have been deadlocked in various areas, Poland is not likely to be admitted to the European economic bloc earlier than in 2005, possibly even later.
* While officiating at the ordination of some three dozen Italian deacons to the priesthood in Rome, Polish-born Pope John Paul II called on the new priests to 'always love the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ in spite of the stains and wrinkles on its human face'.
* You can relive an old-style Polish country wedding on video by contacting Sobótka, PO Box 5244, Portland, OR 97208. The cost of the video is $10. plus shipping You can get a glimpse of the wedding by website: http://home1.gte.net/marek/wesele14.jpg
* A sour-rye soup known as ?ur was once a typical breakfast food in much of Poland.
* On the eve of World War II, 3.5 million Jews lived in Poland, or 10% of the population -- more than any other country until the state of Israel was established after the war.
* The annual Polish Festival of Portland, Oregon, billed as 'the largest Polish-flavored event west of Chicago', is being held this year (2001) on September 29 and 30. For more information contact: mprouse@yahoo.com or marek@gte.net
* Each year hundreds of thousands of Poles try their luck working in the West, mainly in Germany. Men work as construction workers, repairmen and mechanics, while women are usually employed as waitresses, housekeepers and child-minders.
* For information on this year's summer courses in Polish language and literature, organized by New York's Kosciuszko Foundation, visit website www.kosciuszkofoundation.org or phone (212) 734-2130 ext. 210.
* The River Vistula (Wisla) becomes especially treacherous in the vicinity of the northern city of Torun, where its poweful undercurrents and numerous whirlpools have proved fatal to even the best of swimmers.
* The gradual warming of Poland's climate has made ticks far more a health hazard than previous. The blood-sucking insects, which can produce serious brain diseases, are especially prevalent in the heavily forested northeastern corner of the country around Olsztyn, Suwalki and Bialystok.
* Poles never eat apple sauce with their breaded pork chops, the typical go-together being braised cabbage. In fact, although Poland is a major apple producer, apple sauce (mus jab3kowy) is rarely eaten in any size, shape or form.
* The great British writer George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) once said that there were three tragic nations: the Jews, the Irish and the Poles.
* During the 18th-century partitions of Poland, French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau advised the Poles: 'If you can't prevent being swallowed, then at least make sure the don't digest you. Through their uprisings and other forms of resistance Poles gave their invaders plenty of headaches and occasional indigestion.
* The Dominican Fair (Targ Dominikanski) in Gdansk is one of the country's biggest such folk festivals whose roots go back to the Middle Ages. Held each year in spring, it includes craft demonstrations, folk performances and a variety of goods, refreshments and entertainment of every imaginable type.
* Poles are believed to have some $1.5 billion on deposit in Swiss banks, Polish TV reported recently. It quoted unnamed banking officials as saying they were keeping a close eye on private depositors who make cash deposits, raising suspicions that the money may be from illegal sources.
* You can find out about having Polish television programs beamed into your home by contacting this e-mail address for free information: spanski@tvpolonia.com
* A pale-blue shirt worn with a suit and tie has become a fashion trade-mark of Poland's ex-communist President Aleksander Kwaoniewski who was re-elected to another five-year term in October 2000.
* Back when the police and army were the loyal defenders of the communist regime, it was Poland's voluntary fire departments that served as the Church's elite corps providing uniformed marchers, honor guards and marching bands for processions and other religious exercises.
* Poland's State Archives are petitioning UNESCO to have the 21 Demands of the 1980 Gdansk shipyard strikers included on the World Heritage List. The demands gave rise to Solidarity, the Soviet bloc' s first free trade union, and ultimately led to the collapse of the iron curtain.
* Entirely on Polish territory before World War II, Bialowieza Virgin Forest now straddles Poland's eastern border with slightly more of its 1,250 sq. kilometer area on the Belarussian side. Europe's largest primeval forest is home to bison, tarpans (wild ponies), moose, wild boar, elk, deer, wolves, ermine, otters, badgers and other wildlife.
part 11
* Pope John Paul II has accepted an invitation from the city fathers of his southern Polish hometown of Wadowice to visit it again in 2002. But he added the remark: 'Jak Bóg da' (God willing). He last visited his birthplace two years ago.
* Polish Americans visiting Poland this year saw their buying power shoot up over night during the first week of July. Due to various internal and international factors, one day they were getting only 3.95 zlotys to the US dollar, and the next day as much as 4.30 zlotys.
* Poland's Solidarity movement was born during the August 1980 Gdansk Shipyard strike. Following nine years of political struggle with the communist regime it led to the collapse of Soviet bloc and the democratic development of the Europe's eastern half.
* France's major Polish burial ground is the cemetery in the Paris suburb of Montmorency. Among the famous Poles buried there are writer and early writers and early US traveler Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, poet and freedom-fighter Cyprian Godebski, 19th-century romantic poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid and World War II commander Gen. Kazimierz Sosnkowski.
* According to legend, Warszawa (Warsaw) got its name from fishermen named Wars and Sawa. Historians believe that in actuality it was named after a nearby village called Warszowa.
* During his recent first presidential trip to Europe, George W. Bush made his keynote foreign-policy address at Warsaw University where he supported NATO's continued enlargement and pointed to Poland as an example other ex-communist countries could follow.
* Both their self-imposed isolation stemming from their religious-cultural beliefs ('the chosen people') as well as limitations on settlement, land ownership and craft guild membership forced Poland's Jews to specialize in trade, inn-keeping and money-lending, making many of them rich and successful.
* Poland's standard half-liter (app. 17 oz.) short-neck beer bottle is now being gradually replaced by a long-neck bottle of identical volume. At first glance it resembles the old American 12 oz. long-neck bottle, except it is 5 oz. larger.
* For information on transferring money to family and friends in Poland via Western Union, phone: 1-800-325-6000 (for information in English) or 1-800-990-4440 (in Polish).
* Former US President Bill Clinton earned $100,000 for the lecture he delivered in Warsaw in May 2001. Former Polish President Lech Walesa also addresses groups at home and abroad but earns only about $10,000. per lecture.
* Hot beer soup, usually served over cubed farmer cheese, was once Poland's most typical breakfast food; the less better off ate Zur (sour ryemeal soup) for breakfast.
* The world's largest chalka (braided egg bread) ever created was baked in June 2001 in Kielce, Poland. It was made of 290 lbs of dough, was 8" tall and was 38' long. The bakers are hoping their creation will make it into the world-famous Guinness Book of Records.
* Polish-born pontiff John Paul, the former Kraków Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, is credited with enriching the Vatican menu with such Polish delicacies as jajecznica na boczku (scrambled eggs fried in bacon), flaki (tripe), pierogi and sernik (cheesecake).
* Poland's last execution took place in Kraków in 1988, the last year of communist rule, when a serial killer was hanged in Kraków. But 69% of all Poles favor the restoration of capital punishment, removed from the penal code in 1998.
* Poles have created unique styles of weaving, lace-making and embroidery, not to mention such folkcrafts as wood-carving, wycinanki, pisanki and palm-making, but have contributed nothing original to the field of knitting field. Contemporary knitting patterns are available in Poland but come from Western European sources and are translated into Polish.
* Local farmers were surprised when a pack of wolves killed and maimed calves in the heavily forested Wegorzewo area of Mazuria (northern Poland) in June 2001. Wolves are most commonly encountered in the rugged southeastern Bieszczady Mountain area.
* The anti-Russian revolution of 1905-1906 failed to restore Poland's independence but it did lessen Moscow's grip, allowing the restoration of lower-level Polish schools and the creation of Polish patriotic associations.
* Warsaw's Stadium Dziesieciolecia (built in the mid-50s to mark the 10th anniversary of communist rule) is now Europe's biggest open-air market. Dominated by vendors from the former Soviet republics, its business volume ranks it in the top 20 on the list of Poland's 500 biggest firms.
* Former Polish President Lech Walesa has become a vegetarian for health reasons. But he admits it takes a lot of willpower to say 'no' to roast chicken, bigos and breaded pork cutlets.
* A prezydent (president) is the chief executive of Poland's major cities, while a burmistrz (mayor) stands at the head of smaller cities and towns.
* Skeptics who said that after 123 years of foreign occupation it would take decades to meld together the three partition zones after World War I were proven wrong. Within a few years, a unified army, public administration, school system, railways, currency and other elements of independent statehood were all in place and functioning surprisingly well.
Everything You ever wanted to know about Poland - (part 11)
DID YOU KNOW THAT ?
By Robert Strybel, Warsaw Correspondent
part 1
Towarzysz Generał 1/8
Towarzysz Generał 2/8
Towarzysz Generał 3/8
Towarzysz Generał 4/8
Towarzysz Generał 5/8
Towarzysz Generał 6/8
Towarzysz Generał 7/8
Towarzysz Generał 8/8
Some historians believe that Polish sea captain Jan z Kolna led a flotilla of Danish ships to the coast of Labrador and down to the Delaware River in 1476. That was 16 yeas before Columbus landed on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Since Jan z Kolna died during the Atlantic crossing back to Europe, his discovery did not receive much prominence and died a natural death.
* In addition to the powerful Roman Catholic Church, which commands the allegiance of more than 90% of all Poles, three other denominations have the word “Catholic” in their names.The biggest is the Polish Catholic Church (app. 40,000 members), a Polish spin-off from Polonia’s Polish National Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavites (20,000) and the Catholic Mariavite Church (5,000).
* Starting with deep economic chaos (including 800% inflation) when the communist system collapsed in 1989, by 1993 Poland had achieved a real growth rate of 2%. In 1995, Poland led all of Europe, not only the former Soviet bloc, with an impressive 6.5% annual economic growth rate. This year a 5% increase is expected — a very respectable figure. Political conflicts and frequent cabinet changes seem to have little impact on the economy which is developing according the reforms launched in 1990.
* The English word “billion” and the Polish word “bilion” do not mean the same thing. The English billion is a digit followed by 9 zeroes, whereas the Polish one entails 12 zeroes. In Polish the following numbers are used: milion (1,000,000), miliard (1,000,000,000) and bilion (1,000,000,000,000)
* The most honey is consumed in Poland during the winter months. It is used in Christmas baking — piernik, miodownik (gingerbread) — as well as in such Wigilia dishes as kluski z m1kiem and kutia. It is used to flavor krupnik (hot honey-spice cordial) and miodowka (honey- flavored vodka). Many Poles take miód (honey) to relieve the sore throats and coughs of the cold and flu season.
* The traditional four-cornered cap (rogatywka or konfederatka) worn by Poland’s military was done away with after World War II by the communists and restored by the communists in the early 1980s. The latter move was a ploy by communist strongman General Jaruzelski who tried in this way to prove he was a patriot and sugar-coat the bitter pill of martial law.
* Poland's longest river, the Vistula (Wisla), travels 1,047 (app. 630 miles) from south to north. It begins as a tiny trickle in the Tatra Mountains, is fed by brooks and streams and eventually turns into a mighty waterway which empties into the Baltic Sea.
* Despite the inroads made by sweet and sticky American-style soft drinks, more Poles (81%) still prefer mineral water as well as fruit and vegetable juices to Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, Fanta, Tonic, Seven-Up, etc. which is purchased by 66% of all consumers.
* Snow and cold failed to stop Warsaw's first St. Patrick's Day parade held in 1998. The event sponsored by a local Irish pub in cooperation with the Irish Embassy, featured bagpipers, dancers, clowns and floats. That night, Guinness as well as other brands of beer flowed freely to the tune of Irish ballads in the city's pubs.
* The 1920 Battle of Warsaw has been called the 18th most decisive battle in world history. Only several miles separated the invading Red Army from linking up with revolutionary forces in East Prussia, but the Polish Army smashed the red offensive at the gates of Warsaw and saved Europe from a bloody communist revolution.
* Although the United States has seven times the population of Poland, its people commit 20 times more murders. Roughly 1,000 murders a year are committed n the city of Chicago (population 3 million) each year, more than in all of Poland (population 39 million).
* Fuel consumption is measured in Poland not in terms of distance (miles per gallon), but in terms of how much fuel is needed to travel 100 kilometers (about 63 miles). This reporter's Polish-built Fiat Uno consumes some 7.5 liters over a distance of 100 km -- the equivalent of 50 miles per gallon.
* The medical specialist known in Polish as a 'stomatolog' does not specialize in treating stomach ailments. It means the same as 'dentysta' (dentist) and comes from the Greek word 'stoma' (mouth).
* The narrow back alleys, passageways, nooks, attics and cellars of Warsaw's quaint Old Town provided Polish freedom-fighters with get-away routes and hide-outs during the 19th-century anti-Russian insurrections, the anti-Nazi Warsaw Uprising (1944) and most recently martial law, declared in 1981 to crush Solidarnosc.
* During a recent visit to Warsaw, US Secretary of Defense William Cohen, who is of Jewish background, said he was proud that his ancestors originally came to America from the Bialystok region of northeastern Poland.
* There are no ushers in Poland's churches. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and in many churches much of the congregation stands along the walls and/or in the aisles during Mass.
* Edmund Obiala, a Polish engineer, is directing the construction of the huge Olympic Stadium in Sydney, Australia, which will play host to the next Olympic Games in the year 2000...
* The blue skyscraper in Warsaw's Bank Square was originally conceived as an office building, but was redesigned as a hotel in response to the late-1970s tourist boom. Martial law halted tourist traffic, so it was again redone as an office tower. More than a decade of weather damage to the unfinished building made completing the job extremely expensive.
* Most coffee consumed in Poland comes from Africa and Indonesia, rather than Latin America, which produces weaker-flavored varieties. Despite a TV advertising blitz pushing instant coffee (on which coffee companies make the biggest profits), ground coffee still accounts for 83% of sales in Poland.
* Poland is Europe's biggest producer of apple juice and frozen fruit, and ranks among the world's top producers of blackcurrants.
part 3
The closing times so typical of the English-speaking world are not rigorously observed in Poland. Many of the country's better restaurants and bars stay open until the last guest is ready to leave.
* Poland is one of the few countries whose armed forces and other unifo-rmed services wear a four-cornered cap patterned after the traditional 'rogatywka.' It is probably the only country where officers salute with only two fingers, and two fingers are also raised when taking an oath.
* 'Cracow' is the old-fashioned English spelling for Poland's old royal capital. The proper modern spelling is 'Krakow', and even more accurate is 'Kraków' (with an accent over the 'o').
Mother's Day ('Dzien Matki') is celebrated in Poland not on a Sunday but on May 26th, regardless of what day it falls on. Father's Day is unknown, but Grandmother's Day ('Dzien Babci') is celebrated on January 21st.
* Without additional information, it is impossible to correctly translate the word 'barn' into Polish. The reason is that a barn, in which hay and feed are stored, is called 'stodo3a', and one in which livestock is kept is known in Polish as 'obora'.
* One-fourth of the world's white storks make their home in Poland, where they are believed to bring good fortune to any farm on whose property they nest. Storks epitomize family values: they are faithful to their mates for life and take good care of both their young and their elderly.
* The typical word for 'hi' in Poland these days is 'czesc' which actually means 'honor'. Older Poles sometimes say 'serwus' or 'czolem' for 'hi'. The latter, incidentally, is the traditional greeting of the Polish Falcons of America.
* Names such as Kaczmarek and Wieczorek are most common in Silesia , Biegala and Przybylo in the mountainous Podhale region, and Rataj (plus derivatives: Ratajczak, Ratajski, etc.) in Wielkopolska (Poznan region).
* Poland has four registered churches with the word 'Catholic' in their official names. Besides the Roman Catholic Church, there is the Polish Catholic Church (50,000 followers), an offshoot of the Scranton-based Polish National Catholic Church, the Old Catholic Church of the Mariavites (25,000) and the Catholic Mariavite Church (5,000) which actually has woman priests and bishops.
* Although soccer remains Poland's No. 1 sport, the number of Polish sports fans who regularly follow NBA basketball and NHL hockey is steadily growing. But, although Little League Baseball is spreading, there is little Polish interest in US Major League Baseball or Professional Football.
* Prior to Hitler's 1939 invasion, Poland had the world's most vibrant community of 3.5 million Jews. It included influential religious structures, a sizable Yiddish-language press, numerous Jewish schools, movie studios and other cultural facilities. Jews played a leading role in the business, industry, arts and letters, medicine and legal profession of pre-war Poland..
* The River Vistula (Wisla) cuts the country into the Russian-influenced tea-drinking east and the German-influenced coffee-drinking west. By and large, however, most coffee in Poland is consumed in social settings (the café scene, pastry & coffee parties) rather than being a utility beverage with which to wash down breakfast or a sandwich.
* Poles named Adam and Ewa (Eve) are the only people who do not normally celebrate their namedays. That is because theirs falls on December 24th, Wigilia — too solemn an occasion to worry about anyone's name day party.
* Personal computers are becoming widespread, and more and more Poles are surfing the Internet. But unlike the US, Poland went from the ballpen era straight to the computer age, skipping the intermediate typewriter stage. Most Polish computer users have never learned to type and never owned a typewriter.
* Polish Jews often have surnames derived from the names of countries, regions or localities. These include: Amsterdamski, Berlinski, Bielecki, Gdanski, Holender, Krakowski, Lubelski, Mazowiecki, Perski, Podolski, Poznanski, Siedlecki, Syryjczyk, Slaski, Turecki, Turek. Sometines they have German spellings: Danziger (Gdanski), Lubliner (Lubelski), Posener (Poznanski), etc.
* Moose, beavers and lynx have been reintroduced to the Kampinos Forest National Park just outside Warsaw and are adapting to their new surroundings favorably. Efforts are also under way to restore the area's flora- and fauna-rich wetlands which are drying up due to ill-conceived irrigation projects.
* Poland's largest-selling daily, 'Gazeta Wyborcza' (Election Gazette), got its name because it was originally set up to campaign for Solidarity candidates in the 1989 elections. Rather than representing Solidarity as a whole, it soon became the mouthpiece for its liberal intellectual fringe.
* The Human Massacre (Rzez Humanska) in Poland's eastern border-lands is the name given to a 1768 revolt by rampaging Ukrainian peasants who slaughtered Polish noblemen attempting to defend Jews.
* Warsaw is now Europe's third biggest construction site after Berlin and Moscow. Especially in Warsaw and other big cities, construction crews are working round-the-clock erecting skyscrapers, office towers, business centers, malls and fancy condominium complexes.
* Improved high-tech telephone links make it easier than ever to phone relatives and friends in Poland. Just dial: 0-00-48-area code-number.
* Before becoming king of Poland in 1632, for a brief period W3adys3aw IV was Czar of all the Russia. A revolt by Russian boyars (noblemen) overthrew him and expelled Polish occupation forces from the Kremlin. November 7th, the anniversary of that event, is now celebrated in Russia as Indepen-dence Day.
* So far, Poland has no capital gains tax. That means that profits earned on stocks and bonds are not subject to income tax. The interest earned on savings accounts and time certificates is also not regarded as taxable income.
* The American Polonia's oldest insurance fraternal is the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA), set up in 1873. The largest such organization is the Polish National Alliance (PNA), founded in 1880. Both fraternals are headquartered in Chicago.
* The Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the honorary leader of world Orthodoxy, recently prayed before the icon of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa during a visit to Poland. It was the first such event in history.
* Although in 7th place as in terms of area and population, Poland is no. 3 in Europe in terms of the number of dogs and cats per capita. Britain and France hold first and second place respectively.
* According to American flag etiquette, when an American and Polish flag are displayed crossed, the Stars and Stripes should be on the viewer's left and the white and red Polish banner on the right. When the anthems of the two countries are performed at public events, 'Jeszcze Polska nie zgine3a" should come first, followed by "The Star-Spangled Banner."
* Centuries ago it was said that the best Poland had to offer included a boot from Warsaw, a 'piernik' (honey-spice cake) from Torun, vodka from Gdansk and a maiden from Krakow.
* Polish soldiers are now serving in international peace-keeping forces in Bosnia, Lebanon and Syria and are on the scene as observers in Asia, the Caucusus and Africa. Several years ago they took part in a peacekeeping mission in Haiti.
* Film director Jerzy Hoffman's recently released movie 'Ogniem i mieczem' ('With Fire and Sword') has broken all attendance records in Poland, and more people saw it during the first week than runner-up 'Titanic'. Based on Henryk Sienkiewicz's epic historical novel dealing with the Poland's bloody 17th-century conflict with the Cossacks, it is Poland's most expensive movie and cost $8.5 million to produce.
* In 1999, the following legal holidays (when schools and nearly all workplaces get the day off) are being observed: New Year's Day (Jan. 1), Easter (April 5-6), May Day (May 1), Constitution Day (May 3), Corpus Christi (June 3), Feast of the Assumption (Aug. 15), All Saints Day (Nov. 1) and Christmas (Dec. 25-26).
* Rogalin near Poznan has Europe's largest concentration of old oak trees. There are about 1,000 old trees in what now is a protected nature reserve ranging from two to nine meters (six to 18 feet) in circumference. Elegant Raczynki Palace with its formal gardens is another local tourist attraction.
* The older generation in some parts of Poland still uses the term 'slawojka' to mean outhouse. The privy got named after Felicjan Slawoj-Skladowski (1885-1962), the prime minister in the 1930s, who launched a campaign to build outhouses in the more backward parts of the countryside.
* The smallest denomination Polish banknote currently in circulation has a value of 10 zlotys ($2.66), for which you can buy a Whopper, fries and coke at Burger King; the largest is the 200-zloty note (about $53) which will buy a bottle of good Scotch in Poland.
* Polish-born pontiff John Paul II, former Krakow Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, has beatified and canonized about as many servants of God in 20 years' time as were raised to the altar over the past 400 years. During his planned June pilgrimage to Poland he is expected to beatify 108 victims of World War II.
* Poland's first bishopric, set up in Poznan in the year 986, is the final resting place of Prince Mieszko I, the country's first historical ruler, and his son Boleslaus the Brave (Boles3aw Chrobry), Poland's first crowned monarch.
* This year Poland is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the death of Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849), the world-famous composer. The occasion is being marked with jubilee concerts, exhibitions, commemorative postage stamps and new publications dedicated to his life and works.
* The statue of Poland's King Zygmunt III was the first secular figure to be placed atop a column anywhere in Europe. His son, King Wladyslaw IV, to commemorate his father's transfer of Poland's capital from Kraków to Warsaw in 1596, built it in 1644.
* Poland's biggest skansen (outdoor ethnographic museum) is located in the southern city of Sanok. A total of 113 buildings, including thatched-roof peasant cottages, old mills, inns and chapels have been reconstructed over a nearly 100-acre site where they may be admired by visitors.
* There is no one word for 'pal-lbearer' in Polish, because carrying a coffin was not regarded as a special custom or institution. Mortuary attendants, gravediggers or family friends can be called on to perform this task, but Poles never saw any reason for giving it a special name.
* Exiled Polish King Stanislaw Leszczynski (1677-1766) is credited with having introduced the French to two specialties of Polish cuisine: bigos (meat & sauerkraut stew), which is known in France as choucrôute garni, and baba (tall yeast-raised egg bread), which the French developed into one of their favorite desserts: baba au rhum.
* All of the some 4,000 European bison found in zoos and nature preserves around the world have Polish roots. After World War I and again after World War II Polish breeders rebuilt the country's bison herd almost from scratch and subsequently shared their breeding material with other countries. At present about 600 'zubry' (bison) roam at liberty in Poland's forests.
* The agrarian origin of the ancient Poles is evidenced by the Slavic names for basic tools: lopata (spade), widly (pitch-fork), sierp (sickle), siekiera (axe), gwozdz (ordinary nail), woz (cart, wagon) and socha (primitive plow). But Poles borrowed from Germans the names of more sophisticated implements including plug (more refined plow), sruba (screw), bretnal (board-nail), szprycha (spoke) and durszlak (colander).
* Completed in 1502, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kosciol Mariacki) in Gdansk took 123 years to build. Said to accommodate 20,000 people, it is Poland's biggest house of worship and one of Europe's largest Gothic brick churches.
* Completed in 1502, the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Kosciol Mariacki) in Gdansk took 123 years to build. Said to accommodate 20,000 people, it is Poland's biggest house of worship and one of Europe's largest Gothic brick churches.
* Polish numbers are rather difficult for foreigners to master, and the numeral two is undoubtedly the most troublesome since it has all of 13 different forms: dwa, dwaj, dwie, dwu, dwoch, dwom, dwom, dwoma, dwiema, dwoje, dwojga, dwojgu & dwojgiem.
* The fabled painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa is a 11th - 12th-century Byzantine icon offered to the Pauline monastery by Prince Wladys3aw of Opole in 1384. According to legend, it was painted by St Matthew on the table-top of the Holy Family in Nazareth.
* The standard Polish flag is divided equally into a white horizontal top half and a crimson bottom half. The national crest, acrowned white eagle on a redshield, should be flown only by Polish ships at sea and Polish diplomatic legations abroad. Turned upside down (with the red half at the top), Poland's colors become the national flag of Indonesia.
* The agrarian origin of the ancient Poles is evidenced by the Slavic names for basic tools: lopata (spade), widly (pitch-fork), sierp (sickle), siekiera (axe), gwozdz (ordinary nail), woz (cart, wagon) and socha (primitive plow). But Poles borrowed from Germans the names of more sophisticated implements including plug (more refined plow), sruba (screw), bretnal (board-nail), szprycha (spoke) and durszlak (colander).
* 'Czernina' (also spelled 'czarnina') is better known across Polonia than in Poland. Board of health regulations now prevent the sale of blood in butcher shops, so only those who raise their own poultry or know someone who does can regularly enjoy the soup.
* The Human Massacre (Rzez humanska) in Poland's eastern borderlands is the name given to a 1768 revolt by rampaging Ukrainian peasants who slaughtered Polish noblemen attempting to defend Jews.
* Warsaw is now Europe's third biggest construction site after Berlin and Moscow. Especially in Warsaw and other big cities, construction crews are working round-the-clock erecting skyscrapers, office towers, business centers, malls and fancy condominium complexes.
* Improved high-tech telephone links makes it easier than ever to phone relatives and friends in Poland. Just dial: 0-00-48-area code-number.
* Before becoming king of Poland in 1632, for a brief period Wladyslaw IV was Czar of all the Russias. A revolt by Russian boyars (noblemen) overthrew him and expelled Polish occupation forces from the Kremlin. November 7th, the anniversary of that event, is now celebrated in Russia as Independence Day.
* So far, Poland has no capital gains tax. That means that profits earned on stocks and bonds are not subject to income tax. The interest earned on savings accounts and time certificates is also note regarded as taxable income.
* The American Polonia's oldest insurance fraternal is the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America (PRCUA), set up in 1873. The largest such organization is the Polish National Alliance (PNA), founded in 1880. Both fraternals are headquartered in Chicago.
* The Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, the honorary leader of world Orthodoxy, recently prayed before the icon of the Black Madonna in Czestochowa during a visit to Poland. It was the first such event in history.
* Although in 7th place as regards area and population, Poland is No. 3 in Europe in terms of the number of dogs and cats per capita. Britain and France hold first and second place respectively.
* According to American flag etiquette, when an American and Polish flag are displayed crossed, the Stars on Stripes should be on the viewer's left and the white and red Polish banner on the right. When the anthems of the two countries are performed at public events, 'Jeszcze Polska nie zginela" should come first, followed by 'The Star-Spangled Banner".
* In one of its promotional campaigns, McDonald's announced 'Los Tygodnios Mexicanos' (Mexican weeks) in its Polish outlets and featured a spicy chicken cutlet on a bun called -- believe it or not -- 'El Kurczako'.
* Poles males often remember their army days in terms of humiliating hazing, time-wasting make-work, nasty drill sergeants, crack-of-dawn military exercises, poor lodgings and horrible food. One thing most of them recall with nostalgia is 'soldiers' pea soup' (zolnierska grochowka) -- exceptionally delicious because it slowly simmers in huge kettles for many long hours.
* An 18,000-sqaure-foot combined Polish Cultural Center, mini-mall and business complex are being planned in a prime area of Las Vegas, which has an estimated 35,000 Polish Americans. Information on the project can be obtained from the developer, Zbigniew Krowicki, at (702) 263-8031.
* Each year about $80 million worth of raw amber is smuggled from Russia's Baltic enclave, known as the Kaliningrad district, to Poland and Germany. There, the fossilized Baltic resin is cut and polished into jewels of true beauty.
* The American banking family of Chase (as in Chase Manhattan) is descended from Polish Jews whose original name was Ciesla (which means 'carpenter' in Polish).
* A Pole who has the letters 'Dr' before his name is not necessarily a medical doctor. Anyone who has a Ph.D., in economy, biology, history, theology, chemistry, political science or any other field, is entitled to have a 'doctor' before his name.
* Buffalo-area native, Pol-Am James Pawelczyk, who traveled into space in 1998 aboard NASA's neurolab, was the world's third Polish astronaut. The first was Miroslaw Hermaszewski who orbited the earth aboard a Soviet Soyuz-30 satellite in 1978. The second was Polish-American Scott Parazynski, a medical doctor, whose first trip into space took place in 1992.
* Until the dawn of the computer age, the American at-sign (@) was largely unknown to Poles who used the French letter 'a' for that purpose. Now the @ is widely known as part of e-mail addresses and is referred to in Polish as 'malpka' (little monkey), because it is perceived as a monkey encircled by its own tail.
* 'Województwo Lubuskie' is the only one of Poland's 16 new voivodships (provinces) named after a city in a foreign country. Lubusz, the city from which it got its name, is in Germany where it is called 'Lebus' (pronounced: LAY-bus). Zielona Gora is therefore the administrative center of the new voivodship.
Contrary to prevailing Western stereotypes that consign Poland to 'Eastern Europe', our ancestral homeland is actually situated in the very heart of Europe. The town of Suchowola in northeastern Podlasie (Bia3ystok) voivodship (province) is located at the very geographic center of the European continent.
* Some Pol-Ams were surprised when Pope John Paul II canonized St Jadwiga (Hedwig) during his June '99 trip to Poland, saying things like 'we've had a St. Hedwig's Parish in our town for years.' But that Hedwig (1174-1243) was a Silesian princess. The recently canonized Jadwiga (1373-1399) was Queen of Poland at the side of King Wladyslaw Jagiello.
* Many Poles dab themselves with a cotton ball saturated with vanilla extract to keep mosquitoes away.
* According to Polish folk belief, it is unlucky to get married in any month that does not have the letter 'r in its name. In Polish such unlucky months are: styczen (January), luty (February), kwiecien (April), maj (May), lipiec (July) and listopad (November). As of January 1999, foreign companies had invested at least $30.6 billion in direct investments in Poland - more than in any other country of Central or Eastern Europe.
* Thirty-six Polonian folk-dance ensembles from 12 different countries took part in the 1999 edition of the World Festival of Polonian Folk Ensembles, held in the southern city of Rzeszów in July. The festival was launched in 1969 and has been held every three years ever since.
* This year's St Patrick's Day festivities in Warsaw included the traditional parade and an Irish Ball at the Sheraton Hotel, featuring a steak dinner, followed by Irish coffee and 'all the booze you can drink' for $100.
* In Polish, 'Asia' is not a continent. It is pronounced AH-shah and is the endearing form of the name 'Joanna' (yo-AHN-nah). The continent is known as 'Azja' (AHZ-yah).
* Polish is now being used as much as Spanish in the liturgy of Chicagoland's Roman Catholic parishes. That information was brought to light at the Polish-American Priests Association's April 1999 convention in Washington, DC.
* Icchak Cukierman, one of the leaders of the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, wrote: 'There are Poles we have ruined. We disrupted their lives when their houses were burned down and their possessions lost. What magnificent people! Whoever harbors general hatred towards the Polish nation is committing a grave wrong. In Warsaw alone some 40,000 people helped in one way or another to alleviate the plight of Jews.'
* Poland's nearly two-century-long Golden Age coincided with the rule of the Jagiellonian Dynasty (1385-1573), when Poland was the biggest country in Europe. This multinational commonwealth of Poles, Lithuanians, Ruthenians, Jews, Armenians, Tartars, etc. straddled the continent from the Baltic to the Black Sea and witnessed the dynamic growth of trade, the arts, crafts and learning.
* Morgan's Pub is a genuine Irish saloon operated in Warsaw (ul. Okólnik 1, phone: 826-8138) by Irishman Ollie Morgan and his sons: Tom, Maurice and Sean. n More than 62% of all Poles now live in cities and towns. Of the 38% living in rural areas, about one-half are gainfully employed in agriculture.
* Things that set Poland apart include the four-cornered hat ('rogatywka') of soldiers and other uniformed services, the two-finger salute, the two-finger raised-hand oath and the chivalrous custom of kissing women's hands. Under the influence of Hollywood and MTV, the latter (hand-kissing) will probably not survive long into the 21st century.
* Kielbasa is indeed a widespread Polish specialty, but Polish Americans visiting Poland for the first time are surprised to find that it is rarely served hot as a main course. Poles mainly regard it as a cold cut and eat cold smoked kie3basa for breakfast, supper and trips (in sandwiches).
* Contrary to widespread Polonian practice, Chester, Mitchell, Walter, Stanley, Stella and Bernice are not the correct translations of the Polish names Czeslaw, Mieczyslaw, Wladyslaw, Stanislaw, Stanislawa and Bronislawa respectively.Linguistically speaking, the true equivalents are Ceslaus, Miecislaus, Ladislaus, Stanislaus, Stanislava and Bronislava.
* Since the exchange rate during summer '99 was from 3.89 to 3.98 zlotys to the dollar, Polish Americans visiting Poland this year found it easy to roughly calculate prices by regarding each zloty as a US quarter.
* Poland has a population density of 320 people per square mile, compared with 606 for Germany and 276 for France. The most sparsely populated area are Bieszczady Mountains in the southeast, a rugged wilder-ness where wolves and bears are still encountered.
* Polish women over 85 who were named after the Blessed Virgin have had to change the spelling of their names three times. Before World War I it was spelled 'Marya', between the two World Wars it became 'Marja', and since the Second World War it has been 'Maria'.
* The August 1999 solar eclipse, which could be seen in its entirety in neighboring Germany and other countries, was only from 80% to 95% visible in Poland, wherever cloud cover did not obscure it from view. Kraków had its last total solar eclipse in 1415, when King Wladyslaw Jagiello sat on the throne. The next one is due in the year 2135.
* The high point of Christmas for culturally aware Polish-Americans is not Christmas Day, but Wigilia (Christmas Eve), when oplatek is shared, traditional meatless delicacies are enjoyed, koledy are sung, and the Pasterka (Shepherds' Mass) is the crowning touch of the evening. Unlike Anglos and other non-Polonians, Pol-Am kids get to open their presents on the evening of December 24th without having to wait till the following morning.
* The best and most complete book in English on Wigilia is Father Czeslaw Krysa's 'A Polish Christmas Eve'. Jam-packed with historical glimpses, nostalgic recollections and Christmas lore as well as customs, recipes, home-made ornaments and much more, it is available at: PAJ Bookstore, 1275 Harlem Road, Buffalo, NY 14206; Internet: http://www.polamjournal.com
* In the olden days Advent, like Lent, lasted 40 days and started in mid-November. St. Martin's Day (Nov. 11) was celebrated as the last outburst of revelry. Today that period of spiritual preparation is two weeks shorter, and St Andrew's Eve (Nov. 30) is the final fling of pre-Advent merriment.
* The first star to appear in the sky on Christmas Eve is the signal for the festivities to commence. This is good example of how legend and practicality have long intermingled in Polish tradition: sighting the first star was a job given to the youngest child who stood transfixed at the window and kept out of the way as last-minute preparations were under way.
* Hungarian-born Saint Queen Jadwiga (Hedwig), canonized by Pope John Paul II during his June 1999 visit to Poland, first introduced Poles to Roraty (early-morning Advent Mass) and jase3ka (nativity play) which have been an integral part of Polish Christmas celebrations ever since.
* If you need information on Polish Christmas traditions or any other holidays and customs, please phone: the Polish Department of St. Mary's College, Orchard Lake, Mich. at 1-900-370-POLE (7653).
* In the old American Polonia (late 19th/early 20th centuries), the December gift-giver was referred to more often as Gwiazdor (Christmas Man) than Swiety Miko3aj. That was because the earliest Polish immigrants came from Prussian-occupied Poland, where a secularized Weihnachstmann (bearded, robed but unbishop like Christmas gift-giver) was strongly promoted to offset the Polish-style St. Nick.
* To this day, the Christmas season in Poland lasts not only until January 6th (Feast of the Three Kings), but all the way to February 2nd (Candlemas or Feast of the Purification of the BVM), when the last koledy are sung at church.
* A slice of ordinary rye bread sprinkled with sugar was once a rare Christmas treat to youngsters in the poorest parts of Poland, especially the hard-scrabble mountain regions of the south.
* The word 'oplatek' (Christmas wafer) is believed to have come from the Latin term 'oblata' which meant an offering or gift. It was also used to denote the consecrated Host. The two wafers are similar because when we break op3atek we enter into spiritual communion with those we share it with.
* On the forthcoming Feast of the Three Kings, also known as the Epiphany (January 6th), Poles and Polish Americans not ashamed of their heritage will inscribe the formula K+M+B 2000 over the doorways of their homes with chalk blessed in church. Those are the initials of the Three Kings or Wisemen (in Polish: Kacper, Melchior and Baltazar) and the current year.
* The basic Christmas vocabulary every Pol-Am should know includes: Boze Narodzenie (Christmas), Gwiazdka (another name for Christmas), Wigilia (Christmas Eve), oplatek (Christmas wafer), siano (hay), choinka (Christmas tree), koleda (carol), kolednicy (carolers), zlobek (Christmas crib), jaselka (nativity play) and Herody (humorous skit about the evil King Herod).
* A small, inexpensive but fairly comprehensive book on the traditions of Polish Yuletide is 'Christmas the Polish Way.' It is available for $6 a copy post-paid from: Youth & Education Department, Polish Union of America, 1004 Pittston Avenue, Scranton, PA 18505.
* Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia (Happy Christmas Holidays), often shortened simply to Wesolych Swiat (Happy Holidays), is the Polish way of saying Merry Christmas. Often added are the New Year's wishes: ...i szczesliwego Nowego Roku.
* Christmas Eve lore usually has to do with the marital prospects of eligible girls. A ripe, golden blade of hay pulled from under the table-cloth was said to mean a girl would marry before Ash Wednesday; a green one meant another year of maidenhood, and a withered blade foretold the life of an old maid.
* Apart from herring, the two main Wigilia fish are the szczupak (pike) and karp (carp). The pike's head, if expertly taken apart, contains bones foretelling Christ's Crucifixion: a cross, ladder, hammer, spear and nails. A scale from the Christmas carp in one's wallet was said to attract money all year long.
* When sending a Christmas card to someone special you won't see in person over Christmas, add a piece of op3atek, from which you have broken off and eaten a small piece. That way you will have shared op3atek with that person over the miles. If you find it difficult getting oplatek in your area, contact: Christmas Wafers Bakery, PO Box 99, Lewiston, NY 14092
* In Polish tradition, Christmas is less about presents and more about family togetherness, forgiving past wrongs and reminiscing about family members that have gone on to their reward; it combines the things most Poles cherish the most: God, country and family.
* Poles will be cheated out of two free days this year, because Christmas Day falls on a Saturday and the Second Day of Christmas on a Sunday. Both the 25th and 26th are public holidays when they fall during the week. Poles get half a day off on Christmas Eve.
* The melody of that beloved, sweet and gentle lullaby-carol 'Lulajze, Jezuniu' was incorporated by Poland's world-renowned 19th-century composer, Frédéric Chopin, into one of his scherzos.
* Before the Christmas tree was introduced from Germany, Poles decorated their homes with an evergreen bough (known as sad, pod3aYnik or pod3aYniczka); it was suspended from the rafters and decorated with nuts, gingerbread, almond confections and fruits as well as home-made ornaments fashioned from paper, straw, egg-shells and op3atek.
* It is traditional to have an additional place-setting at the Wigilia table. It is usually in memory of a departed family member but may be offered to a wayward traveler, lonely stranger or anyone who would otherwise have to spend the evening in solitude.
* Today it is still common to scatter a handful of hay on the table-top before covering it with a pure-white table-cloth for Wigilia supper. Some families only place a small ribbon-tied bunch of hay on the plate with the op3atek. In the olden days, peasants used to scatter straw on the floor, tie the table legs with straw and stand sheaves of unthreshed grain in all four corners of the room.
* If you have drifted away from yours Polish heritage, perhaps this is the year to enrich your family's holiday celebrations with the real thing. For information on how to go about it, ask around in your Pol-Am club, parish or neighborhood. Or read up on your Christmas heritage (see following entry).
* A leading source of Polish Christmas-related books, recordings, crafts, decorations, gift items and delicacies is the following mail-order firm: The Polish Art Center, 9539 Joseph Campau Avenue, Hamtramck, MI 48212; phone: (313) 874-2242; fax: 874-1302; Internet: http://www.polartcenter.com
* Polish-style caroling involves masqueraders, with an Angel, Devil, Grim Reaper and King Herod regarded as the core group. A large pole-mounted star and/or a Christmas crib (sometimes in the form of a puppet stage) were carried by the revelers. Other characters include the Three Kings, a soldier, Gypsy, Jewish merchant and, in the Krakow area, also a Lajkonik (Tartar horseman).
* Another form of Christmas house-to-house masquerading is the customs known as Stare Jozefy (Old Josephs). Usually farm hands attach beards made of hemp, don sheepskin jackets fleece-side-out and travel through the village supported by long staffs. In a manner somewhat reminiscent of St. Nicholas, they ask kids if they have been behaving, but mostly they enjoy frightening youngsters and ask the head of the household for treats.
* In the olden days, kutia or kucja, a Christmas Eve wheat-grain dessert flavored with honey, nuts and poppyseeds, had a ritual significance. Spoonfuls of the sticky pudding were flung at the ceiling. The more that stuck, the better luck and prosperity the household was believed to enjoy the following year. That is the name given to the priest's house-to-house pastoral visits which begin after the Feast of the Three Kings. The priest visits parishioners, prays with the family, blesses the home, updates the parish records and receives a koleda (free-will offering) from the family.
* Krakow in early December is the scene of a unique creche-making contest. The Krakow Creche (szopka krakowska) resembles a magnificent cathedral and is fashioned from cardboard and/or plywood and decorated with shimmering multi-colored foil. Chicago's Polish Museum of America has done much to popularize the szopka krakowska which may range from several inches to more than 10 feet in size.
* St. Stephen's Day, or the Second day of Christmas (Dec. 26), is also a legal holiday in Poland. In churches parishioners bring oats to church to be blessed and threw them at the priest and one another to commemorate the stoning of St. Stephen the martyr.
* To Poles, Wigilia (Christmas Eve) is not only the single most important day of the Christmas season but of the entire year. Emergency workers (policemen, firemen, medical staff, etc.), who have to work over Christmas, gladly work on December 25th, if only to be with their loved ones on the 24th.
* The Polish Christmas season stretches all the way from the start of Advent (late November/early December) to Candlemas (Matki Boskiej Gromniczna) celebrated on February 2nd. The gromnica (lightning-bolt candle) is a tall beeswax candle that was lighted during thunderstorms as well as at the bedside of the seriously ill and dying. In Polish folk culture, the Blessed Mother's candle was also believed to ward off wolves as seen in the accompanying drawing.
part 8
* To this day nobody knows the identity of a mysterious caller who phoned Sikorski's London office of Polish Commander-in-Chief Gen. Wladyslaw Sikorski and predicted his death several weeks before his fatal plane crash off Gibraltar in May 1943.
* Poland had 2 million people in 1340, compared with Spain's 5 million. By 1600, Poland with 7.5 million was catching up to Spain's 8 million, and in 1772 Poland had a population of 11.5 million, 2 million more than Spain. At present both countries' population is approaching 40 million.
* Annual consumption of all alcoholic beverages in Poland has fallen since the collapse of communism from more than 11 to 8.6 liters per capita (calculated in terms of pure alcohol). The proportion of beer and wine has increased, with hard liquor (mainly vodka) accounting for only about 50% of the alcohol now being sold.
* Poland recently commemorated the 60th anniversary of its war-time education system. During the Nazi occupation period Poland's had occupied Europe's most extensive clandestine school network, operated at the risk of their lives by some 20,000 teachers.
* There are an estimated 500,000 people who stutter in Poland, and they even have their own association. At meetings the problems faced by stutterers are discussed and members are urged not to be ashamed of their disability which had afflicted such greats as Aristotle and Churchill.
* The Polish word kolacja (supper) came from the Italian word colazione (breakfast), so somehow its meaning changed in the transition.
* The average Polish monthly industrial-sector wage is about $435, but many people (teachers, nurses, sales clerks, policemen) earn in the neighborhood of $200. An inexpensive small car costs $4,500, a pint of inexpensive vodka runs $6.50 and two small hamburgers and a large order of fries is $4.50 at Burger King.
* A marathon race is held on the anniversary of Father Jerzy Popieluszko's death along his final 110-kilometer (68-mile) road between Bydgoszcz, where he celebrated his last mass, to W3oclawek where he was killed by the communist secret police in 1984.
* The New York-based Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences has recently set up an archival information center at its website (www.piasa.org) to help Polish Americans collect and preserve family data as well as records of Polonian organizations.
* The name Poland comes from Polanie (field-dwellers), an early Slavic tribe that inhabited what is now Great Poland (the Poznan region). The Polanians eventually conquered neighboring tribes and began consolidating what would eventually become the first Polish state.
* Jerzy Buzek, a Lutheran affiliated with the Solidarity bloc (AWS), is Poland's eighth and longest-serving prime minister since the collapse of communism in 1989. A chemical-engineering professor and former underground Solidarity activist, he has headed the current government since autumn 1997.
* If you are a professional person of Polish descent, you should look into what the Association of Polish-American Professionals has to offer. Simply visit website: http://www.informatics.sunysb.edu/apap/
* Today's Poland has an area of 312,383 square kilometers (120,728 square miles) and a population of 38.6 million, 97% of whom are ethnic Poles. Germans, Ukrainians, Belarussians, Lithuanians and others account for the remaining 3%.
* 62-year-old retired coal-miner Oswald Gorecki of Zabrze has built a model of the Eiffel Tower using 450,000 wooden matches. The spent about three hours a day on the project which took him for years to complete.
* The pioneering research of Polish mathematical logician Jan Lukasiewicz (1878-1956) led to the development of the pocket calculators so common today.
* If you or someone you know runs a supermarket or deli, be sure to inquire about a variety of imported Polish jams, pickles, mushrooms, syrups, instant soups, cake mixes, vodka, etc.: Adamba Imports, 585 Meserole St, Brooklyn, NY 11237; phone: (718) 628-9700; website: www.adamba@cncdsl.com Previously we gave the wrong website.
* Contrary to Polish-American custom, Mitchell, Walter and Stanley are NOT the linguistic equivalents of the similar-sounding Mieczys3aw, W3adys3aw and Stanis3aw respectively. Their true equivalents are Miecislaus, Ladislaus and Stanislaus.
* Basia Dziewanowska, a Polish folklorist who displays, sells and lectures on Polish folk art, is preparing the definitive English-language book on Polish costumes. It will contain not only pictures and descriptions of folk attire from different parts of Poland but also patterns for those who want to sew their own. For information contact the author at: 41 Katherine Rd, Watertown, MA 02472; phone: (617) 926-8048.
* If we exclude the letters q, v and x (which occur only in a few foreign borrowings) and add nine special accented letters (1, e, 3, ?, a, n, ó, o, Y), the Polish alphabet comprises 32 letters, rather than the 26 of the English alphabet. (See following entry.)
* The longest word in the Polish language is Konstantynopolitanczykowianeczka. It means a little girl from Constantinopole, contains the same number of letters as the whole Polish alphabet (32) and is rarely used for any purpose other than to be cited as the longest Polish word.
* Betlejem (Bethlehem) is a tiny hamlet near the southeastern Polish town of Jaros3aw with a total population of 50. Nobody knows how its name originated, but some of the oldest residents think someone once built a wayside shrine to the Holy Family there.
* An easy and inexpensive way to expose children to their heritage are the 'Polish Kid's Corner' books by Basia Fr1ckiewicz of Buffalo. They contain customs, tales, folkcrafts (pisanki, wycinanki, etc.), historical trivia, even easy recipes, designed to stimulate the imagination of Pol-Am youngsters. For information contact: Buffalo Standard Printing, 3620 Harlem Rd, Cheektowaga, NY 14215; phone: (716) 835-9454.
* The full name of the popular Polish blood sausage containing groats and chopped variety meats is kiszka kaszana (roughly translatable as 'groaty casing' or 'encased groats'). In Poland this sausage is widely known today as kaszanka (from the second of the two words), whilst in Polonia kiszka (the first word of the two) is more prevalent.
* A middle-aged woman, who was once a computer-science teacher but later went into the hotel business, set up Poland's first women's website. It can be visited at http://www.kobiety.pl
* In the Poland of yesteryear many musicians were Jewish, hence such common Jewish last names as Kantor (cantor), Singer (singer), Fiedler (fiddler) and Spielmann (roving minstrel). Often the Yiddish names were translated into Polish (Opiewak, Grajek, Grajkowski, Grajewski) or given Polish spellings (Szpilman).
* The word 'light' on beer sold in Poland could be a selling point because anything in English is considered trendy. But the same word in Polish, 'lekkie', would turn beer-lovers away by revealing its lower-than-average alcohol content. Most Polish beer has from 5.5 to 6.2% alcohol; light beers are those with 5.4% or less.
* St Mary's Basilica of Gdansk, built between 1343 and 1502, is Europe's largest Gothic-style brick church. It is said to accommodate a congregation of 10,000.
* Each year in September an Archeological Festival is held in Biskupin (about 20 miles from Gniezno), where an ancient timber settlement has been reconstructed. During the event, visitors may watch demonstrations of primitive handicrafts and re-enactments of life as it was believed to have been in the 17th century BC during
* The foods bigos (meat & sauerkraut ragout) and pasztet (pâté) are used in colloquial Polish to mean a mix-up or mess, and klops (meatloaf) can mean a flop or failure. English also uses food terms such as pickle to mean trouble and fine kettle of fish to mean a mess.
* For information on how you can enjoy Polish satellite TV in your own living room, including Polish movies dubbed into English, phone 1-877-843-9788 or visit websites: www.kbs.tv.com or www.dishnetwork.com
* January 21st and 22nd are celebrated in Poland as Grandmother's and Grandfather's Day respectively. Kindergartners and grade-schoolers usually make their own greeting cards for their Babcia and Dziadzio, and older kids use their spending money to buy them flowers or other gifts.
* Polish forces are currently serving in United Nations peace-keeping operations in such places as Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Macedonia, Georgia (the former Soviet republic, not the US state), Israel and Korea.
* The name Polabians (Polabianie means those whose lands stretch all the way to the Laba [Polish for Elbe]) indicates that the Poles' early Slav ancestors once inhabited all of what would later become East Germany. Pomerania (Pomorze), Polish for 'up to the sea', is another indication that Germanization was a much later development.
* Chopin and Belvedere brands are imported from Poland as the world's top-of-the-line gourmet vodkas which sell in the US for around $30. a fifth (750 ml). Russia's Stolichnaya and Sweden's Absolut are poor man's drinks by comparison
* Poland's most impressive Passion Play tales place each year in Kalwaria Zebrzydowski in the south. The story of Jesus' Passion and Death is re-enacted by seminarians and townspeople in a setting designed to resemble the Garden of Olives, Pontius Pilate's Palace, the house of the Last Supper and Mount Calvary.
* The Baranek Wielkanocny, or Easter Lamb, is traditionally portrayed with a cross-emblazoned banner to symbolize the Risen Christ. They range in size from 1-2" to several feet and may be edible (rock candy, butter, white chocolate, bread or cake dough) or inedible (wood, plaster, fleece, plastic).
* For all your Polish Easter needs (including Polish palms, wooden pisanki and egg-coloring kits, Easter Lambs and lamb butter molds, greetings cards, recorded Easter hymns and assorted gifts and crafts) contact Polish Art Center at (313) 874-2242, e-mail: raymond@polartcenter.com or visit their website at http://www.polartcenter.com
* In some villages on Holy Wednesday, youngsters destroy and drown a straw effigy of Judas. The dark-clad scarecrow-type figure is hurled from the church tower into the street below, where it is pounced on by stick-wielding boys, dragged through the village and dumped in the nearest river or pond.
* Easter Monday has always been a legal holiday in Poland, and even the communists did not dare do away with that tradition. They also left the Second Day of Christmas (Dec. 26) and Corpus Christi on the calendar of legal holidays.
* If you don't feel like baking an Easter babka from scratch this year and there isn't a good Polish bakery nearby, try Polonia's first cyber-babka available over the Internet. Check it out at website www.eBabka.com
* The tableau of Christ's Tomb in Polish churches differs from place to place. The lifeless figure of Jesus may be displayed in a papier-mâché grotto or be surrounded by lush greenery, flowers and candles. Honor guards in historic dress or contemporary uniforms may keep watch over the tomb.
* The blessing of Easter baskets, together with the Christmas Eve op3atek-sharing custom, are Poland's most widely practiced holiday traditions. Big baskets containing most of the Easter meal are more typical in the countryside, while in big cities smaller, more symbolic baskets tend to be more common.
* Two weeks before Easter, oats are sown in a flower pot full of soil or garden cress seeds (Cardamine pratensis) are scattered in damp gauze or cotton. This produces a bed of fresh green grass in which to place the Easter Lamb.
* Michigan's Kowalski Sausage Co. will ship its excellent Polish kielbasa anywhere in the US including Alaska and Hawaii. For details call 1-800-482-2400 or (313) 873-8200 or visit website: www.kowality.com For Easter ask about their combination #1300 which includes fresh and smoked kie3basa, cottage ham, sauerkraut and horseradish.
* Emaus, the New Testament town to which Jesus was seen journeying after His Resurrection, is the name of a traditional church fair held in Kraków on Easter Monday. It was frequented by throngs of strollers who youngsters eagerly visited the stalls full of treats and old-fashion toys, enjoyed riding swings and merry-go-rounds and listening to the music of organ-grinders.
* Another Kraków custom was Rekawka (The Sleeve) on Easter Tuesday. Townsfolk, would gather on the mound (man-made hill) commemorating the city's legendary founder Krak (or Krakus) and eggs, apples and other owiecone leftovers to the poor, beggars, impoverished students and other needy people waiting at the foot of the mound.
* You can have traditional owiecone fare -- ham, kielbasa, smoked meats, horseradish, cwikla, rye bread, babka and other seasonal treats -- delivered to your doorstep by Polana, America's largest Polish-style on-line and phone-order food firm. For information phone toll-free 1-888-POLANA-1 or visit website www.polana.com
* A common Easter game is the egg race, in which Easter eggs are rolled down an inclined plank or slope with the one rolling the farthest being the winner. In a Silesian version of the custom, there is an indentation or hole at the end of the slope and the object is to have the rolling egg fall into it the way a golf ball does.
* Easter Monday in today's Poland is mainly drenching day. When youngsters cannot find girls to splash, they turn their buckets and plastic squirters on one another.
* The foods bigos (meat & sauerkraut ragout) and pasztet (pâté) are used in colloquial Polish to mean a mix-up or mess, and klops (meatloaf) can mean a flop or failure. English also uses food terms such as pickle to mean trouble and fine kettle of fish to mean a mess.
* Poland's top-priority foreign-policy goal of joining to the European Union in 2003 appears to have faded. Since negotiations have been deadlocked in various areas, Poland is not likely to be admitted to the European economic bloc earlier than in 2005, possibly even later.
* While officiating at the ordination of some three dozen Italian deacons to the priesthood in Rome, Polish-born Pope John Paul II called on the new priests to 'always love the Church as the Mystical Body of Christ in spite of the stains and wrinkles on its human face'.
* You can relive an old-style Polish country wedding on video by contacting Sobótka, PO Box 5244, Portland, OR 97208. The cost of the video is $10. plus shipping You can get a glimpse of the wedding by website: http://home1.gte.net/marek/wesele14.jpg
* A sour-rye soup known as ?ur was once a typical breakfast food in much of Poland.
* On the eve of World War II, 3.5 million Jews lived in Poland, or 10% of the population -- more than any other country until the state of Israel was established after the war.
* The annual Polish Festival of Portland, Oregon, billed as 'the largest Polish-flavored event west of Chicago', is being held this year (2001) on September 29 and 30. For more information contact: mprouse@yahoo.com or marek@gte.net
* Each year hundreds of thousands of Poles try their luck working in the West, mainly in Germany. Men work as construction workers, repairmen and mechanics, while women are usually employed as waitresses, housekeepers and child-minders.
* For information on this year's summer courses in Polish language and literature, organized by New York's Kosciuszko Foundation, visit website www.kosciuszkofoundation.org or phone (212) 734-2130 ext. 210.
* The River Vistula (Wisla) becomes especially treacherous in the vicinity of the northern city of Torun, where its poweful undercurrents and numerous whirlpools have proved fatal to even the best of swimmers.
* The gradual warming of Poland's climate has made ticks far more a health hazard than previous. The blood-sucking insects, which can produce serious brain diseases, are especially prevalent in the heavily forested northeastern corner of the country around Olsztyn, Suwalki and Bialystok.
* Poles never eat apple sauce with their breaded pork chops, the typical go-together being braised cabbage. In fact, although Poland is a major apple producer, apple sauce (mus jab3kowy) is rarely eaten in any size, shape or form.
* The great British writer George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) once said that there were three tragic nations: the Jews, the Irish and the Poles.
* During the 18th-century partitions of Poland, French philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau advised the Poles: 'If you can't prevent being swallowed, then at least make sure the don't digest you. Through their uprisings and other forms of resistance Poles gave their invaders plenty of headaches and occasional indigestion.
* The Dominican Fair (Targ Dominikanski) in Gdansk is one of the country's biggest such folk festivals whose roots go back to the Middle Ages. Held each year in spring, it includes craft demonstrations, folk performances and a variety of goods, refreshments and entertainment of every imaginable type.
* Poles are believed to have some $1.5 billion on deposit in Swiss banks, Polish TV reported recently. It quoted unnamed banking officials as saying they were keeping a close eye on private depositors who make cash deposits, raising suspicions that the money may be from illegal sources.
* You can find out about having Polish television programs beamed into your home by contacting this e-mail address for free information: spanski@tvpolonia.com
* A pale-blue shirt worn with a suit and tie has become a fashion trade-mark of Poland's ex-communist President Aleksander Kwaoniewski who was re-elected to another five-year term in October 2000.
* Back when the police and army were the loyal defenders of the communist regime, it was Poland's voluntary fire departments that served as the Church's elite corps providing uniformed marchers, honor guards and marching bands for processions and other religious exercises.
* Poland's State Archives are petitioning UNESCO to have the 21 Demands of the 1980 Gdansk shipyard strikers included on the World Heritage List. The demands gave rise to Solidarity, the Soviet bloc' s first free trade union, and ultimately led to the collapse of the iron curtain.
* Entirely on Polish territory before World War II, Bialowieza Virgin Forest now straddles Poland's eastern border with slightly more of its 1,250 sq. kilometer area on the Belarussian side. Europe's largest primeval forest is home to bison, tarpans (wild ponies), moose, wild boar, elk, deer, wolves, ermine, otters, badgers and other wildlife.
part 11
* Pope John Paul II has accepted an invitation from the city fathers of his southern Polish hometown of Wadowice to visit it again in 2002. But he added the remark: 'Jak Bóg da' (God willing). He last visited his birthplace two years ago.
* Polish Americans visiting Poland this year saw their buying power shoot up over night during the first week of July. Due to various internal and international factors, one day they were getting only 3.95 zlotys to the US dollar, and the next day as much as 4.30 zlotys.
* Poland's Solidarity movement was born during the August 1980 Gdansk Shipyard strike. Following nine years of political struggle with the communist regime it led to the collapse of Soviet bloc and the democratic development of the Europe's eastern half.
* France's major Polish burial ground is the cemetery in the Paris suburb of Montmorency. Among the famous Poles buried there are writer and early writers and early US traveler Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, poet and freedom-fighter Cyprian Godebski, 19th-century romantic poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid and World War II commander Gen. Kazimierz Sosnkowski.
* According to legend, Warszawa (Warsaw) got its name from fishermen named Wars and Sawa. Historians believe that in actuality it was named after a nearby village called Warszowa.
* During his recent first presidential trip to Europe, George W. Bush made his keynote foreign-policy address at Warsaw University where he supported NATO's continued enlargement and pointed to Poland as an example other ex-communist countries could follow.
* Both their self-imposed isolation stemming from their religious-cultural beliefs ('the chosen people') as well as limitations on settlement, land ownership and craft guild membership forced Poland's Jews to specialize in trade, inn-keeping and money-lending, making many of them rich and successful.
* Poland's standard half-liter (app. 17 oz.) short-neck beer bottle is now being gradually replaced by a long-neck bottle of identical volume. At first glance it resembles the old American 12 oz. long-neck bottle, except it is 5 oz. larger.
* For information on transferring money to family and friends in Poland via Western Union, phone: 1-800-325-6000 (for information in English) or 1-800-990-4440 (in Polish).
* Former US President Bill Clinton earned $100,000 for the lecture he delivered in Warsaw in May 2001. Former Polish President Lech Walesa also addresses groups at home and abroad but earns only about $10,000. per lecture.
* Hot beer soup, usually served over cubed farmer cheese, was once Poland's most typical breakfast food; the less better off ate Zur (sour ryemeal soup) for breakfast.
* The world's largest chalka (braided egg bread) ever created was baked in June 2001 in Kielce, Poland. It was made of 290 lbs of dough, was 8" tall and was 38' long. The bakers are hoping their creation will make it into the world-famous Guinness Book of Records.
* Polish-born pontiff John Paul, the former Kraków Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, is credited with enriching the Vatican menu with such Polish delicacies as jajecznica na boczku (scrambled eggs fried in bacon), flaki (tripe), pierogi and sernik (cheesecake).
* Poland's last execution took place in Kraków in 1988, the last year of communist rule, when a serial killer was hanged in Kraków. But 69% of all Poles favor the restoration of capital punishment, removed from the penal code in 1998.
* Poles have created unique styles of weaving, lace-making and embroidery, not to mention such folkcrafts as wood-carving, wycinanki, pisanki and palm-making, but have contributed nothing original to the field of knitting field. Contemporary knitting patterns are available in Poland but come from Western European sources and are translated into Polish.
* Local farmers were surprised when a pack of wolves killed and maimed calves in the heavily forested Wegorzewo area of Mazuria (northern Poland) in June 2001. Wolves are most commonly encountered in the rugged southeastern Bieszczady Mountain area.
* The anti-Russian revolution of 1905-1906 failed to restore Poland's independence but it did lessen Moscow's grip, allowing the restoration of lower-level Polish schools and the creation of Polish patriotic associations.
* Warsaw's Stadium Dziesieciolecia (built in the mid-50s to mark the 10th anniversary of communist rule) is now Europe's biggest open-air market. Dominated by vendors from the former Soviet republics, its business volume ranks it in the top 20 on the list of Poland's 500 biggest firms.
* Former Polish President Lech Walesa has become a vegetarian for health reasons. But he admits it takes a lot of willpower to say 'no' to roast chicken, bigos and breaded pork cutlets.
* A prezydent (president) is the chief executive of Poland's major cities, while a burmistrz (mayor) stands at the head of smaller cities and towns.
* Skeptics who said that after 123 years of foreign occupation it would take decades to meld together the three partition zones after World War I were proven wrong. Within a few years, a unified army, public administration, school system, railways, currency and other elements of independent statehood were all in place and functioning surprisingly well.
Everything You ever wanted to know about Poland - (part 11)
DID YOU KNOW THAT ?
By Robert Strybel, Warsaw Correspondent
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