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Europe: who hates who? / Evropane: kdo koho nenavidi?

europe yahoo imageI stumbled upon this article the other day and I thought it was worth for me to share it with you. It is called “What Europeans think of each other“, written by an American who have lived there for 4 years. It is a very raw, blunt humor but that’s why it’s so funny. Just to give you a taste, this is what the Dailycandor writes about the Polish:

The Poles — Not much seems to register about Poland and the Poles except that they’re quiet. They are a relatively big country (40 million people) so the supposed scare of being overrun by Eastern Europeans when a bunch of Eastern European countries joined the EU in 2005 focused in on the Poles. The Germans really don’t like Poles, and among Germany’s 9 neighbors, are disliked the most. Poland is considered a country of car thieves by the Germans. Really, the relationship between Germany and Poland is similar to that of the United States and Mexico, and often for many of the same reasons (differences in income, history of war, different languages, etc.).Poles really shore up their hatred for their eastern & southern neighbors, primarily Russia and Ukraine, although they don’t like Czechs, Slovaks or Lithuanians either. Oddly, they don’t really mind the Germans, and probably still fear them a bit — you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.

The Germans – ……When German ask for directions in Holland, they’re usually given directions to the shortest way out of the country, or told “Give us back our bikes!”, a reference to the fact that Germans confiscated Dutch bicycles during WW2.Danes hate it when you pronounce their capital as “ko-pen-HAH-gen”, because this is the German pronunciation. Either pronounce it the English way (with “HAY” instead), or the Danish way, which is literally impossible to put down here.Germans tend to like their Western neighbors far more than they are liked by them, but they look down on their Eastern neighbors, particularly Poles. They, oddly, have some mixed respect for the Czechs, who have resisted German aggression.

What does he say about the Czechs?? It’s not that great:

The Czechs — Considered a relatively bright spot of Eastern Europe by Western Europeans, but I think primarily because Prague is such a gorgeous city and a popular tourist destination. Czechs are a bit like Germans, though — a bit rude, blunt, and cold. Poles don’t have much good to say about them.

If you want to find out what are the other Europeans “REALLY” like click here.

Source: http://dailycandor.com/what-europeans-think-of-each-other/

20 comments… add one
  • Pawel K. Dlugosz June 14, 2008, 4:31 am

    Interesting indeed! I remember a book – novel about Queen Hedwig. The young queen who just arrived to Poland from Hungary asked one of Polish lords: ‘why do Poles hate Germans so much?’ To which he replies: ‘My gracious lady, it’s because they love our country so much, that they would like to deprive us of it.’ It’s fiction, of course, but summarizes well Polish German relations through centuries. I hate Germans because they murdered several members of my family and millions of Poles – pure and simple.

  • Tanja June 14, 2008, 5:25 pm

    I understand what you are saying, the Nazis committed a horrendous crimes, but we need to forgive them or the hate is going to eat us alive. What’s done is done and we need to move on. To hold a grudge especially against the new German generation is unfair. I have talked to couple of young Germans about this particular issue and they were deeply sorry about the whole situation. It’s not even their fault but the fault of their grandfathers.

  • polak March 22, 2010, 4:15 am

    what do you mean “you never hear a joke about germans in Poland”??

  • nt July 10, 2011, 8:39 pm

    Although the writer of the peace below wrote this ling time ago, but I would like to respond to it, for this is general view of most people who come to US to study.:

    “she tells me that the stuff she studied in senior school in Madrid (high school) is what she’s being taught on her second year of University… in subjects like Chemistry and Biology.”

    While this is true, but most foreigner I think don’t understand the role of universities in US. All public Universities in US are expected to provide education to citizens of their states. Since US from its inception until recently has been expanding and it did not have uniform primary +secondary educational system. Some schools were better than others. SO not all students who went universities had the same background. So by and large most US public universities tend to start teaching various subjects from the beginning. I should point out, that for most part those students who already know the subject, can take the next level class (I am certain none is forced to to take the class in which what they will be taught the will already learned know.

    I actually like (US/our) system. It is very populist and none-Elitist. If some student can re-learn (or learn it for the first time).

    Conversly, in US high schools, if a student is motivated, he/she can take advanced course at his/her local college.

    There is certain amount of flexibility in US educational system, unfortunately flexbility cut both ways. on one hand
    motivated student in US high school has access to all he/she needs to enrich himself, but minimum requirements to get HS diploma, at many schools is ridiculously low

  • lalala April 15, 2012, 8:58 am

    “you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland.” are you kidding ? these are the most popular jokes

  • rgfre January 28, 2013, 2:56 pm

    Czech republic is the most asian country in europe. Laughable language, no history ( they are fagots and cowards). Except Prague, Czech rep looks like 3rd world country. The least unknown country in the Europe ( after Slovenia). Prague is higher developed than the other part of the country b/c in Prague still live some Germans.

  • Hans April 4, 2013, 8:09 pm

    I’m German living in USA ,more bad think simply i can say about Czechs than Poles, car thieves??? Old story, but Czechs had before same opinion… just prefer more development of Warsaw than boring Prague.

  • Hans April 4, 2013, 8:14 pm

    Czechs like Germans??? A U kidding me??? Hahahahahahahha…

  • Tomasz June 2, 2013, 7:02 am

    Well, I think Germans more dislike Dutches than Poles now. They are making fun of France too. As to Poland, I think true Germans have no opinion of Poles. They know nothing about my country. They don’t seem interested in it. However, there are people from Silesia, a region in Poland who think they are Germans ;). And some of them really hate Poles. But Germans are making fun of them. Their language is slightly similar to German, but they aren’t Germans. It’s because of their complexes. They deride Poles on forums pretending to be Germans. It’s very funny.

  • Jan Novak June 12, 2013, 3:49 am

    rgfre, are you troll???
    Hans, I have just one question. Why do you dislike us Czechs so much???

  • M Novak June 13, 2013, 4:03 am

    rgfre, you must be a troll. Otherwise I can not explain your hatred towards Czech republic.
    Hans, I have just one question: Why do you dislike us Czechs so much???

  • greg September 3, 2013, 7:31 pm

    we poles hates german pigs so much they should be exterminated after ww2

  • kate October 24, 2014, 2:30 pm

    Poles fear Germans? hahaahahahah a good one
    We hate them so much, just as russia and ukraine
    and for the record, we don’t waste time for immature jokes but I would like to see how you people say jokes about us in my country… You wouldn’t get out alive 😉

  • Jonny November 20, 2014, 12:29 pm

    “respect for the Czechs, who have resisted German aggression.” – that made a hard laugh

  • moss March 18, 2015, 2:28 pm

    Very unfair and low level article offending Poles. I would rather say that Germans don’t like anybody, they don’t like any foreigners and look down at them, whether it is happening in their country or when they are outside of their own land. I still don’t know the reason why they are in the EU and opened the borders if the foreigners who work in there (Turkish, Polish, Italians etc) are treated very badly and paid far less for the same work/hours that the germans. Nothing has changed since Mr H. You are Czech so obviously you mustn’t write real things about the germans, they kind of sponsor you since 1939.

  • marqina March 24, 2016, 8:59 am

    “you never, ever hear jokes about Germans in Poland”
    ahahahahahhaahahah aha a … wait, what? Is that joke?

    And Poles don’t like Czechs, Slovaks or Lithuanians? They are neutral towards them.

  • Paulina November 27, 2016, 10:45 am

    Actually, instead of writing “who hates who in Europe” you wrote about Polish-German-Czech relations in a biased, towards Poles, manner. That seems like a whole point of your article. Although, I am not deluded about the opinion on my country, I think you are a little bit about positive view of yours. When you say, that Poles dislike everyone neighbour except for Germans – I say what? When you wrote” never heard a joke about Germans in Poland” – I think you have no clue what’re writing on. And when you mention “Germans respect Czechs because of their resistance” – I bet, everyone in Poland (and in rest of Europe) is laughing.

  • a German January 28, 2017, 1:29 am

    Well, Greg, come to my Country and repeat what you have just said here to my face. It is due to people like you that hatred will not cease, a$$hole.
    Most Poles I know are good-hearted, hard-working, great People. What a pity that you are not one of them.

  • a German January 28, 2017, 1:31 am

    P. S. @Jan Novak: It seems to me that both rgfre and Hans are trolls. Don’t mind them. 🙂

  • Polak July 28, 2017, 9:55 am

    Bullshit! Today most of Poles love Czech people! Czech, Slovaks, and Hungarians are our favorite nations.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU7AKSFZFVM
    The Czechs generally love Germans (i didn’t know why…), and always prefer Germany, not Poland, but… Czechs are not like Germans, they are Slavs, and nice people.

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