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Poles breathe new life into Brandenburg
Published: 24 Dec 12 07:40 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20121224-46921.html
Though many Germans have left the eastern state of Brandenburg in search of better job prospects, an influx of Polish immigrants from across the border is breathing life into the Uckermark region.
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He said Gartz was looking to benefit from its proximity to the Polish city of Szczecin - formerly the German Stettin - just 20 minutes away.
And Brandenburg isn't the only German state that's attracting people from across the border. Polish families are also picking up and moving to Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania further north.
One of these families, the Popielas, made the jump to Gartz in 2007 and 2008, when Poland joined the Schengen zone - a move that paved the way for passport-free travel to and from Germany.
"We are really content," Dominika Popiela said, praising Rosow for its affordable property values, air quality and peaceful nature. She and her husband now help other Poles settle in the area - providing advice on issues like real estate and getting to know Germany.
Many young parents are drawn to the area by cheap home prices; residences in Rosow are often more affordable than apartments in Szczecin, which is home to more than 400,000 people.
The renovation work undertaken by new buyers have saved some older buildings from falling further into disrepair.
The influx of Poles has also spelled expansion for Gartz's schools. Gotzmann said there would soon be instruction for children in their native Polish. There are already 10 classes available to adults who wish to learn German.
Some Germans have also signed up for Polish language courses. Now, Gotzmann said, even residents who initially had reservations about the newcomers agree that their Polish neighbours have successfully integrated into the community.
DPA/The Local/arp
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Your comments about this article:
I haver to agree, although I live 400 km to the left of Berlin, the Poles that are in the local area here and there are a lot, you never hear about them, they are part of the community. Now if only the Russian's and Turk's could adapt in the same way....................................
@The-ex-pat: That's racist. And also correct.
Saying that someone cannot/will not/does not want to integrate is not racism it is an observation and in many cases fact...........
Next question why are the houses cheaper ,house prices normally reflect the ability to pay which is dependent on wages ?. Look around on the web Polish house prices are not high compared to average German prices.
Sorry but I can't tell the difference in the Eastern languages to know which is Polish ,Russian or any other land.
Your IQ level is so low if you moved out of Germany the national average would increase considerably.
Is this the reason why it is taking ages to complete the new airport? I mean ........its not normal of the Deutscher Leute to have such a fracas.
Yes the "made in Germany " label has been compromised by such BER saga - but do not forget there is always the POLITIKA behind - a silent war going on between west and former east Germany.
I'll go if you go. That will treble the IQ increase. :-)
Does it not beg the question why the Germans need to move if there are jobs 20 minutes away or did these jobs only go to Poles?
My guess is that it is a matter of language. I doubt that Polish is taught in German schools as a foreign language. So I believe that there are not many Germans that speak Polish good enough to work in a Polish company.
You are well read enough to know that in parts of Europe there are jobs no longer for locals unless they speak the new arrivals language .
I find this a disturbing article because of the underlying issues which are not addressed for fear of being called racist.
These people are mostly good workers and family oriented.
I doubt these poles are not buying bread and butter of the German working class (tax payers). I am an IT specialist coming from South East Asia, while getting a new job I was given less priority as the Germany trust more on the Easter European and get the jobs easily, aftaer a hard tight fight when I get jobs and see these news I feel these are bed bugs like blood suckers.Who are eating up Germany from inside to our.
Your IT studies did not leave much room for you to learn about EU, did they? That's why you have no clue that all EU citizens have the same rights all over EU countries (with some temporary exceptions regarding Romanians and Bulgarians). Just as Germans have the right to settle in any part of Poland, Polish people have the right to settle in any part of Germany.
"I was given less priority as the Germany trust more on the Easter European and get the jobs easily" - that is understandable. Besides needing less paperwork and less cultural adaptation, the East Europeans are recognised worldwide as extremely good IT specialists (you probably know that Romanian is the second language spoken on the Microsoft campus in Seatlle).
you have a few options when you read a post
1. you do not have to agree
2 you do not have to like it
3 you do not have to comment
4you can respond intelligently
5 you do not have to make a fool out of your self.
why did you select all 5 ??????
Was whole Prussia not quite enough? But I value this people's trust.
Will the government of Poland offer German classes if tens of thousands of Germans start to move back to Danzig? Why not one Europe, right.
German classes in Gdansk? More as the ones already taught, as German is considered a very important foreign language in Poland? You probably know that are plenty of bilingual (Polish-German) schools in Poland, right?
Germany shouldn't fund any more european bail outs, until Prussia is returned to Germany, and German citizens whoh ad their property seized in Eastern Europe are re-imbursed for the thefts.
Learning a foreign language has in most cases an economic purpose, just like going to university. That's why learning Old Greek and Latin is not so trendy. Your question was whether the Polish government will offer German classes. Again, the answer is yes, they do that since long time ago. So what delusion are you referring to? And what is the connection between the present article/comments and the European bail-outs?