BellaOnline Forums Travel and Culture Polish Culture Poles claim to have found skull of Copernicus

Matejko was supposedly Hungarian and Milosz Lituenian of coourse. We all know about Mickiewicz.
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Lombroso? Do you mean Poles are thieves? I always suspected thievery could be one of our national virtues and when abroad I used to warn Poles not to steal from Korean owned stores because risk was too high. Koreans are super thievesthemselve and thus able to catch someone trying to steal from them....
But we could decide some say whether Copernicus was Polish or German if only we knew what language he had spoken. I'm afraid he knew polish and german......
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World press in English on Copernicus skull

Of course you are right, Adam. I lived in Germany for ten years and it is amazing that the majority of Germans do not "look German", particualrly by the popular American preconceived expectation.

Kai

Jerzy, Adam,

first of all - about 50% Germans and 35% Poles are characterized by nordic features. Second of all - Copernicus's scull does not look very different than from the picture (oval long face). Third of all he was a subject of Polish king, he was paying taxes to a Polish king - so he was Polish in the terms known in Renaissance, but I remember asking my dad whether he spoke Polish and he was not sure. But it is known that he spoke German and Latin.

Still - in the past the feeling of nationality was very different than now and because of that he was Polish (subject of Polish king), even if his family was completely German.

Does it really matter?

I just heard a couple of days ago information about the famous Grand hotel in Sopot but... the information did not even mention that it was built by Germans. I noticed that Poles are very afraid of any German heritage but they love to point out for instance Italian heritage of Krakow (bona and architects)

Jaga,
you are wrong. Poles are not 'afraid of German heritage'(whatever that means: I am not afraid of darkness and by neighbour is afraid). For the major part of Poles nowadays it is obvious that the pre-war German cities, their buildings, hotels, universities were built and run by Germans. BTW - I noticed that some Poles living for a longer time abroad tend to see some phenomena in Poland in espacially critical manner. Is it that they have to somehow subconsciously """"justificate""""" their decision to live abroad? Did you ever observe that, Jaga?

Adam,

yes, Poles are a bit afraid of admitting having German heritage just like in Ukraine or Soviet Union they do not want to mention that there is Polish influence in Lvov and Wilnius.

I remember being in Wroclaw (Breslau) and reading the history of the churches and there was never any mention of word "German" - although majority of today churches in Wroclaw were built in the time when it was under German influence.

Do you think that the famous Wierzynek in Krakow was Polish??? What about Dietl?

As for me being in America, I may be called a betreyor by you, I do not care. I simply believe that I can serve better Polish American community here than by me staying in Poland where somehow I could not find my place. In the time when I left to do my grad work in Poland I was in a kind of impass - no good job, no any prospect for any independent life etc... but you can blame me as much as you can for not being a real Pole. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jaga
when this notes about history of Wroclaw churches were written? Before 1989 or after? I personally know quite a few Vratislavians - they are all PROUD of the heritage of Wroclaw and Breslau, have no problems with thre city's history at all. On the other hand I accept that there are some Poles who are 'afraid' of Germans, Russians, Ukrainians etc. But the notion "Poles are afraid of German heritage in their cities" is so imprecise and so general that it is clearly unjust.

I asked you a quiestion - your right is not to reply. Nonetheless let me say that I am not blaming you for anything, it is the right (for which we fought for many years) of a man to live whereever he wants. Full stop.

I do think that you present some opinions about Poland that are painted in black. I am not saying that easily but after long observation. Still - it is just my opinion, but - sorry- that's the way I see it. You can refute it, deny do whatever you want with it, but I am not your foe and my intentions are good. All the best.