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Photo: DPA

Poles no longer fear Germany

Published: 11 Mar 10 15:01 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100311-25821.html

Two decades after German reunification raised widespread concern in Poland, the overwhelming majority of Poles no longer fear their western neighbours.

A survey by Polish pollster CBOS that was published by the newspaper Rzeczpospolita showed only 14 percent of Poles still had anxiety associated with Germany. Back in 1990, when Germany first officially recognised its eastern border with Poland, 88 percent of Poles said they feared the Germans.

In contrast, half of all Poles still said they fear Russia, though the number was down from 67 percent five years ago.

Polish psychologist Janusz Czapinski said his countrymen had come to realise modern Germany had nothing in common with Poland’s wartime Nazi occupiers and that Germans now treated their neighbours in a “friendly and peaceful” fashion.

“The majority of EU funds that we use come from our western neighbour,” Czapinski told the paper.

Despite Germany’s troubled history with Poland, ties between the two countries have improved considerably since Warsaw joined both NATO and the European Union.

However, relations with Berlin suffered during the nationalist-conservative government of former Polish premier Jaroslaw Kaczynski from 2005 to 2007. Polish officials also bristled periodically due to a now resolved dispute about a foundation meant to remember the suffering of German civilians expelled from lands now part of Poland immediately after World War II.

DPA/The Local (news@thelocal.de)

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Your comments about this article:

#1
19:41 March 11, 2010 by 1FCK_1FCK
Let's hope there are no more Polish politicians who see this issue as an easy one with which to gain popularity. When in doubt, blame the Germans.
Report abuse »
#2
20:15 March 11, 2010 by wxman
And in other news, a recent study has determined that Poles tend to have short memories.
Report abuse »
#3
01:25 March 12, 2010 by peschvogel
Look, hiatory is rpeating itself only east. German was at one time on the front line of the cold war. Now Poland is on this line with the new one. Russia wants to export gas to Germany thru Poland but Poland has become a strategic country to which the US has a friend.

Germany's economy is going down. Thats a fact. Poland's is rising. Thats a fact. Poland has become a center for economic success not only in CEE but all of Europe. The amount of capital that will come in along with military support will give Poles the same economic powerhouse that Germany had the last 20 years. Poles see a brighter future. Both sides wil support its future. Poland will achieve something Germans will be jealous of in the many years to come. Economic superiority and freedom. Germans will want a piece of the pie but history is something you cant ignore...

Germans frequently make fun of Poles to this day. They are the butt end of care jokes, Nazi jokes, and stupidity jokes. I ask to a newly found pride in poland, who is laughing now? Stolat!
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#4
03:29 March 12, 2010 by Thames
@peschvogel

Germans aren't the only ones who made fun of the Poles. I used to hear the jokes all the time in the United States as well.

It is a shame the Polish got a bad reputation for some reason even in the United States. They have some wonderfull cities and were on the forefront of science. Poland's pride should not be newly found they should have allways had it. However, I don't think the Germans will be jealous of Poland.

If Poland does well just be happy for the Poles. Poland does not yet have the population to be an economic powerhouse. IF it does become an economic powerhouse it won't be long you will have many non Poles coming to Poland for work and this will probably damage the social structure of the country.

American military support will not come without a price. They will want the Polish Army to help them fight their wars. If Poles can deal with that than OK.
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#5
07:45 March 12, 2010 by Jim09
finally this hillbillys did realize that germany is not the nazi-germany from 2.ww anymore.

thats awesome for you guys. how come? does poland now have internet access?
Report abuse »
#6
09:44 March 12, 2010 by dbert4
Oh yes, Poland is a success! Nothing miraculous there, a couple hundred billion Euros of (German) EU aid/development money and viola!

I'm wondering when Poland will start actually contributing to the EU? Beyond sending hordes of legal and illegal economic refugees to the rest of the world that is, kind of the Mexico of the European continent aren?'t they.
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#7
20:08 March 12, 2010 by peschvogel
Germany is on the decline. Poland is on the rise. You will see this shift grow in th enext year or so as each of their economies reach their own destiny. Poland will be on the front and cutting edge like Berlin was 25 years ago. I expect big things to come from the hard working people of Poland!!
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#8
22:16 March 12, 2010 by dbert4
Yes Poland is on the raise, in the same fashion as Mexico, "welfare" payments from it's nationals living abroad. It will crash and burn for the same reasons as Mexico too, an out of control birth rate, corrupting influence of the Catholic Church

And the rest of Europe getting sick of the thievery of Poles will cause the borders to once again be closed.
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#9
00:51 March 13, 2010 by dairiesman
"Poland has become a strategic country"

Poland has always been a strategic country. That's why it has been invaded down through the centuries - and not just by the Nazis or Communists.

James Michener's novel, 'Poland' makes interesting reading.
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#10
10:28 March 13, 2010 by mixxim
I bought a card in Mecklenburg with the slogan, 'heute gestolen, morgen in Polen' Perhaps the germans should fear the polish influx?
Report abuse »
#11
22:02 March 13, 2010 by dbert4
Yes, many people in Berlin have lost their autos to those.....up and coming Poles.
Report abuse »
#12
02:38 March 14, 2010 by wenddiver
As an American I think the US markets should be made more accessable to Poland, who really showed her friendship and support by her heroic help in Iraq. Their GROM troops were some of the best in the conflict and deservedly earned the respect of everybody involved. Maybe we should give them France's share and some of the other anti-US bone-head's Market Share.
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#13
13:05 March 14, 2010 by mixxim
At least the Poles cannot just nick the cars and drive them home from the US, although I suspect that some cars seen there and further east were not paid for....
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#14
13:32 March 14, 2010 by dbert4
"As an American I think the US markets should be made more accessable to Poland,"

You mean auto markets, don't you? Should they have free shiping for the cars that they steal?

Their HEROIC help (Poland: 200 invasion—2,500 peak (withdrawn 10/08) makes them deserving of it?
Report abuse »
#15
13:33 March 14, 2010 by nicolasund
@wenddiver

this is not a very relevant comment to this discussion. Mainly because France was the second largest contingent of troops in Iraq.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_War#France
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