Christmas in Poland- Wesołych Świąt

Wesołych Świąt,

The weather here has broken. Europe had quite cold spell from the Ukraine to France. Rail and air was grounded through much of Europe. We have a good Fulbright friend of ours (Leanne) who decided to go back to the States for the Holidays. She left Poland, and has been stuck in Paris for 3 days. Now getting “stuck” in Paris might sound nice, but I am sure when your bags are checked and you are living on airport food for days, well.... But similar things are happening all over Europe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8425805.stm

However, today we started to warm back up and thaw. Just in time of our trip later in the week.

I taught my last class of the season yesterday. My attendance on Monday and Tuesday was about 25%. We have a much shorter break here than colleges do in the States. In the States, I would be “off” for about 5 weeks during the holidays. Here is it really just the week between Christmas and New Year (like a real job). We start classes back up in Gdansk on January 4th.

Another difference is the semester term. In the States, Christmas Vacation (over here you are allowed to call it Christmas Vacation) would signal the end of the semester. Then after the Christmas break, you would start the next semester. Here we are only 75% done with the Fall semester which does not end until the beginning of February. So I have about a month left of this semester when we return from Christmas break.

Speaking of Christmas Vacation- I treated the family to that movie last night. I love Cousin Eddie! With Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid, It’s probably one of the closer depictions of a real family gathering at the holidays. It's not the Christmas season until you watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Earlier this week we also showed the kids the classics: Rudolph, A Year Without Santa and Frosty the Snow Man. It is hard to believe all of those were made before even Lisa and I were born. They really hold up over time.

Of course Christmas in Poland is a special event. They have their own unique traditions.

First, the big event day is Christmas Eve (Wigilia)- not Christmas Day.

On Christmas Eve (Wigilia) it is traditional in Poland to:

-It is a day first of fasting, then of feasting. You fast until the first star comes out. That is normally the childrens' job is to look for the first star to appear in the sky. Now luckily as it gets dark at 3 p.m.--you are not fasting long.

-The feast begins with the appearance of the first star; there is no meat in the feast. Mostly fishes. Carp is the big item on the table (their version of a turkey). Poppy Seed cake is also important.

-In some households, bits of hay are spread beneath the tablecloth as a reminder that Christ was born in a manger.

-An even number of people must be seated around the table or, tradition states, someone may die in the coming year.

-The meal begins with the breaking of the opłatek (an unleavened bread). Everyone at the table breaks off a piece and eats it as a symbol of their unity with Christ. They then share a piece with each family member giving good wishes for the following year.

-There should be twelve dishes of food, as a symbol of the Twelve Apostles.

-Poppy seed cake, beet soup, prune dumplings, carp, herring and noodles with poppy seed are universal Polish Christmas foods. Traditionally, there is no meat eaten on Christmas Eve. Often there is compote of dry fruits.

-How you spend the Wigilia signifies how the next year will be for you and your family.

-Then presents are opened after dinner.

-Midnight Mass is very very common.

-Christmas Day and then the 26th (as second Christmas Day) is spent visiting friends (we will spend it on a train).

Some of the above we will follow this year and some we will not be able to (no Carp unfortunately, and I doubt Lisa will put together a 12 course meal. Lisa promised a 12 course meal next year when she is in her own kitchen).

So what did I ask Santa for this year?  A Gate's BBQ brisket sandwich.  I miss Midwest beef (Poland is the land of pork)!

We have been very honored to be invited to our landlord’s (The Draniewiczs') for an after dinner glass of wine and conversation. We are excited about the evening.

Then off to Slovakia and Budapest the next day.

So again, Wesołych Świąt!

Warsaw

I am in the middle of giving an examination to my undergraduates.  So while they are praying and/or cursing, I thought I could catch up on my blog.

Last week we were in Warsaw for my mid-year Fulbright meeting. Warsaw is about a five hour train ride directly south. Recall that Gdansk is in the very north of Poland, and Warsaw is basically in the middle. Five to six hours are about a much as the kids can handle on a train, we have determined. This train was quite nice and had a restaurant car.

I will not go into much family detail on our trip, as Lisa was quite good in blogging our activities each day. If you are not subscribed to her blog, I suggest you do.  You can read our many Warsaw adventures here.

http://anamericanhouseholdinpoland.blogspot.com/

The top three blog entries are on Warsaw. If you have not, please give them a look. I am trying not to repeat what Lisa has already said.

As I mentioned, it was not all fun and games- I did have a meeting to attend. Most of the Polish Fulbrighters came from their cities for a meeting with the Program Director and Executive Director. I spent 10 days with these scholars in September, and it was great to see them again. Before and after our meetings, we caught up at dinners and accompanied each other to sites. Most had not met Lisa and the kids before.

Our meeting was an informal gathering to let the scholars discuss how the program is going and obstacles people are facing. This is then used to help the next batch of Fulbrighters who come next year. The topic that dominated the meeting was the issue(s) of visas, which have been problematic for many. We also discussed other travel opportunities and some administrative items.

We meet again for our final meeting in May. At that time, we also get to take our families to the US Ambassador to Poland’s residence. I have not met the new Ambassador.  He is an Obama appointee and just arrived. I had met the former Ambassador (a Bush appointee). He stayed on until this past October.

I love Warsaw. It is huge, and struggling with its own growing pains. In many ways it does remind me of New York. It is a perpetual traffic jam. That said, in my opinion, it can be classified as one of the “Great Capitals of Europe.”

The history is phenomenal, from the Jewish and Polish struggles during WWII, to medieval Warsaw, to Post-Communist Warsaw. Lots of skyscrapers, culture and history to see and do. Like New York or Paris or Berlin, you could spend a couple of weeks in Warsaw without seeing everything.

On the culture side (not my strong suit; I am a history guy...) is Frédéric Chopin. You might recognize Chopin’s name as one of the great classical composers. He was from Warsaw and they are getting ready to celebrate his 200th birthday in 2010. The entire year will feature Chopin concerts put on by some of the best orchestras in the world who will all be traveling to Warsaw. Although he died and is buried in Paris, he asked that upon death, his heart be removed and returned to Warsaw. It is held in a parish church in downtown Warsaw today. The comment goes that no matter where he lived, his heart belonged to Warsaw.... Also, if you are a Vodka drinker- try a bottle of Chopin. It is a great Polish made Vodka. Other than the name, it has nothing to do with him, but it is good.

Our apartment was in Old Town. Although most European cities have an “Old Town,” this has an interesting history. Although centuries old, the Warsaw Old Town was completely destroyed by the Nazis in 1943-1945. General Eisenhower toured Old Town soon after the Yanks arrived and could not believe the destruction.

However, the Poles had hundreds of pictures of what Old Town looked like. It was completely rebuilt to look exactly like it was prior to 1943. In fact, if you did not know better you would think these 40 year old buildings were over 400 years old. They did a great job in historical reconstruction.

A picture of Old Town before and after.....

 

Although most European city destruction was the ravages of war, Warsaw was a planned destruction. 85% was purposely destroyed by the Nazis. A couple of Nazi quotes “ The city must completely disappear from the surface of the earth and serve only as a transport station for the Wehrmacht (German Army). No stone can remain standing. Every building must be razed to its foundation." SS chief Heinrich Himmler, October 17, SS officers' conference
 
"Warsaw has to be pacified, that is, razed to the ground."
Adolf Hitler, 1944"

Interested in some other before (in 1945) and after (today) shots of Warsaw- I found a site- http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?s=9c24ca47388fb3c6ebbf375c18efb095&p=30310178&postcount=33

Warsaw was great. I have now been to this city a number of times. I look forward to coming back soon.

Back to Work and a Cautionary Tale

For those who think I am just traveling through Europe all on the taxpayer’s dime, you are only partially right.

First, I must admit, it is “taxpayers money". Fulbright is a part of the State Department, which of course is funded by your tax dollars. So Thanks a Bunch! I am enjoying myself!

Alas, I must also work. As mentioned in previous blogs, I have three classes plus one seminar that meets on occasional weekends. Two of my classes are Master’s level and one is Bachelor’s level, all in the School of Management and Economics. Also, as noted before, I am teaching basically the same classes here that I do in the US. In fact, I am even using the same book, study questions and examination format as I would for my American students. So, I think these are fair comparisons.

Here are some of my observations on the students.

Quite a bit is made in the news about ”foreigners“ taking US jobs. This first started in manufacturing in the 1970s, and in recent years has moved into services and even managerial jobs. The US had a great advantage for several decades in the job market. So, what have I learned based on teaching the next generation of European workers?....

Frankly these Polish and other European students are as strong as students in the US. They are as driven, they want to take risks. Many want to start their own businesses.

Keep in mind, my students are young enough that they have really never lived a day under Communism. Frankly, they know little about Communism. I actually know more (given the fact I was a Cold War child and history nerd). I tell them stories..... Furthermore, they do not care about Communism. That is something in their history books or stories that Grandma tells. Young students today are about jobs, careers, Capitalism and money.

I have asked my students (the ones near graduation) what their future plans are. About half wish to stay in Poland and about half want to move to other parts of the EU or Asia. Interestingly, I have not met any student that desires to move to the US.

That said, all of these students are very proficient in English. They realize English is the international language of business and globalization, and they chose to take their degree in the English language. There is a parallel Polish language track, but they want to work in English. Interestingly, they also have a desire to learn Spanish.  It is the second most common language requested here.

One of the reasons I am here, is there are more students who want to take classes in English, than there are professors that can teach in English. That also says something about the generational difference. As children, many current professors learned Polish and Russian, or Polish and German. Most of the Professors at my business school CAN speak reasonable English (to have a conversation), but they are not confident enough in it to teach or give lectures.

So, is there a worry about foreign graduates taking the jobs of US graduates? Absolutely.  Even if you argue that US students vs foreign students are ”the same“ when it comes to intellect, skills, desire, entrepreneurship, etc, it still increases the candidates for jobs well beyond the US borders. Actually, if you do the math, our American college educated job pool now only makes up a fraction of the world’s English speaking college educated job pool. Of course, companies know this. I have seen many of the big US and European companies (like Coke, Dell Computers, etc) all here recruiting.

Not to get political on you, but you can take the Lou Dobbs approach, and call for the US to close its borders to jobs leaving. I always thought that idea was silly, but after living here and meeting these people, the idea is even sillier. Frankly, that will be like holding back Niagara Falls with a teaspoon. It is just no longer the world reality.

Now countries like Poland are not going to take over the world tomorrow.  They still have political and infrastructure systems to improve. But they are improving them.

So, I not only have to worry about my children competing against other US children when they graduate college, but also worry about children from all over the world becoming part of the employment pool. And their skills are good!

Now my comments are directly based my Poland experience (which I doubt anyone would have thought would be a threat to future US jobs).  But Poland is just one of many countries all doing the same thing throughout Central and Eastern Europe, India and Asia. The job candidate pool gets larger every year, and companies have lots and lots more choices for smart new workers.

So what is my advice for my children in this new world order? I have no idea. If I did, I would write a book and not need a Fulbright to travel and experience Europe. I just know the playing field has grown much larger, and I must admit I am impressed with their progress.

My next blog will be over the similarities and differences in teaching these students and my teaching style.

Prussians, Nazis and Communists

Berlin is a terrific city. It is quite large (over five million in the greater metro area) and very cosmopolitan. You cannot even make a fair comparison between Berlin and Gdansk. Gdansk is 10 times smaller and a regional hub; whereas Berlin is one of the biggest and most important cities in Europe.

Germany as whole is quite a contrast to Poland. Germany is twice as wealthy as Poland ($35,000 PPP vs $16,000 PPP) and had quite a bit more time to develop. Germany has been part of the European Union since 1957, whereas Poland only joined in 2004. Of course, Germany uses the Euro and Poland still has its own currency, the zloty (Poland is suppose to move to the Euro in the next few years). Berlin is also much more “English” friendly. Berliners (at least the West side) have been learning and speaking English for decades. So as Lisa said, “Berlin feels much more familiar”.

That said, my German language skills are about as good as my Polish. Unfortunately, I learned all my German by watching Hogan’s Heroes reruns.

Berlin is expensive, as any big city would be; think New York, then add our very weak dollar to the equation, and it becomes very, very expensive. Even taking the family to the public toilets costs the equivalent of $10. I think we will tour the poor EU countries from now on. Actually, there are two more German cities I want to get to before we leave, Munich and Hamburg (south and north Germany).

Berlin is also not afraid of it's nudity. Big billboards of naked models adorn the streets, and all the naked magazine covers are right in the fronts of the stores. There was a 20 foot tall billboard of a topless model at our train stop. Ben is ready to come back here anytime.

We spent five days in Berlin and saw most of the sites and did our share of shopping. You can basically divide Berlin into three modern histories: the Prussians, the Nazis and the Communists. We made sure we experienced a little of each. I am sure the kids do not appreciate the subtleties. They just think I am dragging them from one old thing to another (which I am- that’s the Professor’s job!).

Berlin was the Capital of the Prussian Empire for a few hundred years. Famous historical figures such as King Fredrick the Great, Kaiser Wilhelm I & II and Chancellor Otto Bismarck were all here. We toured one of the Prussian Palaces built by the first Prussian King, Fredrick I (he was Fredrick the Great’s grandfather). In addition, we toured the Berliner Dom, the large church where pretty much all the Prussian Kings, Queens, Princes and Princesses are buried. Like in England and Austria, the Prussian Royalty are all decended from the same family, the Hohenzollern. Interestingly, Gdansk (where we live in Poland) was part of the Prussian Empire until 1919. That is where it obtained its other name; Danzig (the Germans still call our city Danzig).

As for the Nazis, we saw the site of the SS and Gestapo headquarters, the building where the notorious “Final Solution” was crafted and several monuments to the murdered Jews of Europe. They are currently excavating the SS/Gestapo headquarter building, and creating a museum called the Topology of Terror.

We also saw Hitler’s parade grounds and the 1936 Olympic Stadium he built (where Jesse Owens embarrassed him by beating his “superior” Aryan race). The stadium was recently refurbished (but still holds all the 1936 Olympic symbols and monuments, and is now the home to Berlin’s soccer club). As you can imagine, Berlin is quite proud of its Prussian heritage and fight against communist- but of course, there are no monuments to the Nazis or anything like that. You really have to hunt to find most of the remaining Nazi buildings and places.

Probably the biggest aspect visible from the Nazi era are the city buildings themselves. When the Russians descended on Berlin- they bombed the city continuously from 1943 to 1945. Over 80% of all structures in the city were destroyed. So, in many ways, Berlin is a new city, built from the ashes. One building (a bombed out church) remains standing as reminder of what the city looked like in 1945.

Then, of course, there is the Communist era. Berlin not only had the “Wall”, but was really a symbol for the entire Cold War. As I mentioned in my last blog, it is hard now to tell when you are in former East or West Berlin. It is just Berlin. That said, the East side still has a lot more poverty than the West side. I am so glad my kids got to see and touch the Wall. Also mentioned earlier, this is why we picked this particular week to come here. It is the 20th anniversary of the Wall’s fall.

Lastly, we saw the German Chancellor’s house.  Angela Merkel is the current resident, and the Reichstag (the Parliament building), which was also famous during the Nazi period for Hitler’s fiery speeches.

The big news here was the suicide of the soccer goalie of the German national team (Robert Enke). He jumped in front of a train on Wednesday and took his life. It was a big shock to everyone in the country. It was front page news for several days. The funeral was held in the Hanover soccer stadium (it was packed) and televised live. Again, it shows you how seriously the Germans take their fussball.

With the kids, our constant fight is over food. First, they are always hungry, then they don’t like anything the restaurants and cafes serve. They don’t like those exotic European items such as tomatoes, lettuce or anything with a sauce.

They want every meal at McDonalds, KFC and Pizza Hut. I have philosophical disagreement with eating at any American fast food place while in Europe, except for a few rare occasions.

The famous local cuisine in Berlin is the currywurst. It is long wurst, that has a special tomato and curry based sauce. The wurst is twice as long on as the bun, you use the bun as a handle while eating. You can buy them on every street corner and they are quite good. But you can imagine the kids reaction to them. Most just eat the roll (as long as you scrape the sauce off it). Schnitzel went over a little better; we just told them they were big chicken nuggets.

Finally, today is Natalie’s 13th birthday. We had a small celebration last night (today is a 7.5 hour train ride) and brought some presents with us. I am not sure she realizes it now, but spending your 13th birthday in Berlin is pretty special. However, this was the second birthday celebration where Lisa could not find a proper birthday cake. A box of Duncan Donuts with candles had to substitute.

Not sure where to put this in my blog- but it needs to be somewhere. Apparently the Germans are both literal as well as visual people. You like the sign for the bathroom in front of the stadium? Direct, to the point, leaving nothing to the imagination- very German! My father-in-law may enjoy this the most.

Back to Gdansk, then off to Warsaw in two weeks.

Wall Day

This is a very special year to be in Central and Eastern Europe. It is the 20th anniversary of most of the former Soviet controlled countries gaining their freedom after 50 years. We are witnessing constant celebrations and memorials to 1989.

We specifically chose this week to visit Berlin. Of course, it is the 20th anniversary since the Berlin Wall fell, and East Berlin was finally reunited with West Berlin. It has become the symbol of the entire collapse of the Soviet system, and communism in Eastern and Central Europe.

For the last week Berlin has been in high celebration, remembering their magical night when the wall fell (I well remember watching it on TV. Lisa and I were dating at the time).

The events culminated on Monday when the leaders of the world (and Hillary) joined each other in a ceremony with the Berliners. Nothing necessarily against Hilary, but every other important country in world, including Russia, sent their President. We sent a Cabinet member. Same thing occurred on the 70th anniversary commencement of the beginning of WWII back in September.

So, today was our day to show the kids the Wall. I called it “Wall Day”.

Ironically, very little of the Wall is left. In the exuberance to “tear down this wall,” they literally did. It was not until almost all sections were gone, did some question if they should not leave up parts as a reminder to future generations. So only a few small sections of decaying concrete remain. A few hundred feet here and a few hundred feet there.

We started at one of the most iconic spots for the wall- the Bandenburg (Tor) Gate. This famous 18th century landmark was actually on the East German side (and faced the east), and the wall ran right in front of it. Most young West Berliners had never actually seen the front of the Brandberg Gate before November 9th, 1989. It was on the back side of the gate (on the West side), where President Reagan gave his famous speech to “tear down this wall” in 1987.

On Monday evening, the leaders of the world (and Hillary) symbolically walked from the east side of the gate, then through it, and then stopped on the west side just past where the wall had stood. That walk would have been impossible 20 years before.

Today, all that is left of the wall is a foot wide path of bricks embedded in the street that show exactly where the wall once stood. Those ambitious enough can follow the bricks the entire 150Km of the length of the wall. We took a photo of our kids (near the Brandenburg gate) straddling either side of what was once the wall. The wall went though streets crossings, subway stations, and even in some cases buildings (they have a great picture of the East Germans blowing up a big, beautiful church as it stood in the way of where the wall needed to go).

Other than the bricks in the street, you really have a hard time knowing when you are in former East Berlin or West Berlin. Berlin has done a great job integrating the two former separate sectors. That said, as you travel further east, you can still see some of the former soviet influence in the remaining buildings.

One of our stops was at Check Point Charlie, a border crossing between East and West. Originally is was just the third of seven border crossing (the “C” in Charlie being the third letter of the alphabet). However it later gained fame as a place of conflicts; tank standoffs between Russia and the West as well as daring escapes. The guard house still stands and a nice man in an American Military uniform will happily take a picture with you for a Euro (per kid). We were fighting for capitalism, weren’t we?

We walked along the bricks and followed the Wall path for several blocks. We saw a small remaining section of the Wall (about 100 meters) that is still in tact. However, it is in such bad shape that they protect it with a fence and barbed wire (rather ironic if you think about it). You can see the Wall and its deterioration behind our kids.

Now this is it is very important for my kids to see the actual wall in place. As I mentioned, most is gone and the rest in deteriorating. I would imagine that they will be the last generation to see Wall, as nature shall soon take it (it is really just made from cheap concrete).

We then got on to an S-Bahn and took the train deep into the east side of the city. This is where the longest piece of the Wall still stands (about 3/4 of a mile). It is called the East Side Gallery. They have allowed artists from around the world to come and paint murals on this remaining long section. It is rather neat to see the wall put to this use. The murals are very well done and creative. We enjoyed our walk up and down this long section to see the art.

 

Back to the Bandenburg Gate where we started our day. This is my second time at the Gate since 2007. The same thing makes me smile every time I see it. On the former East side, just 75 yards from where the East German Communist Guard houses and the Berlin Wall stood, today stands a Starbucks! Lenin must be rolling over in his grave.

Statistics, Torture and Amber

We are finally in a groove here in Gdansk. A normality of a routine is settling in (which is a good thing). We have a few unresolved items with residency to complete, but we are officially expat Poles for the next nine months.

I have basically finished my set of weekend seminars on Intermediate Statistics for Politechika’s Masters students. These specific students have full time jobs and attend their educational program on the weekends. I have taught statistics at the graduate and undergraduate level for probably 13 years. The material is the same anywhere you go. However, here I noticed a big difference. As you can imagine, statistics (especially intermediate) is not usually students' favorite class. I accepted that years ago and have experimented with ways to make it more interesting.

To compare this class between the Poles and my US students is interesting. As always noted in the newspapers, US students (in jr. high & high school) struggle with math and analytical thinking. In fact, our math scores seem to be going down in the U.S. Of course, this phenomena transfers to my statistics classes at the college level. Many students really struggle with the topic and that “type” of thinking in the US.

I am having a very different experience teaching the same subject here. I am using the exact same book, lecture notes and slides in Poland, than I would use in with my US students.

Polish children receive a much more robust math and quantitative education (at least those planning to go to University). I can see this effect immediately in my Polish Master’s class. In my short experience, the average Polish student is able to perform and understand quantitative thinking and reasoning substantially better than my US students. They are actually much more comfortable with this type of thinking and problems, then say a class an interpersonal communications. In other words, they would rather take a quantitative class, than a “softer-science” type class. On average the reverse is true with my US students. Many would do everything possible to avoid taking a quantitative class.

After my weekend class, I called Lisa and asked her to bring down the kids to Old Town and see some more of the city. Although we have been here for several weeks- we have only seen a fraction of the sites.

We went to the most unusual combination museum I have ever been to.

The museum building is the 16th century Gdansk city jail. It has two large towers where they use to keep the prisoners (like the Tower of London). It is a great old building to see just on its own merits.

However, what is in the building is the very unusual contrast.

There is one admission fee.

The top half of the jail and tower is a museum dedicated to amber. Yes, the golden-brown stone which is very popular in jewelry. The Baltic sea and Gdansk are the highest producers of amber in the world.

For those that saw the Jurassic Park movie, you know that amber is made from fossilized tree sap. Apparently the Baltic sea was a once vast tree sap producing forest. As it flooded and turned into a sea several million years ago, the amber fossilized and fell to the bottom of the water. Now chunks of Amber wash up on the shore. From there people turn it into jewelry and all kinds of other decorative pieces. Amber has been washing ashore in Gdansk for tens of thousand of years (and still is).

So the top of the 16th century jail and tower tells the story of amber, its importance to the region and a collection of magnificent pieces of amber jewelry, religious artifacts, decorative boxes, clothing, and even an amber made electric guitar. The pieces are gorgeous. Soft music is playing over the loud speaker.

So, after spending 45 minutes or so seeing amber and its magnificent artistic uses- they take you to the lower floors of the jail and tower.




It is the Torture museum!

You see a film on how they treated prisoners within those very walls (disembowelment, the rack, broken by the wheel, beheading, flogging). Then you go into rooms that use to carry out these procedures. They have examples of the torture devises, and playing over the loud speaker are simulated screams and cries of prisoners. Lisa and the small kids left after the second room. It was quite graphic, and the simulated screams are bone chilling. There are drawings of what the even more heinous forms of execution and torture were like. I won’t even go into that. You go into the small cells where prisoners awaited their fate. All this while people are looking at beautiful amber pieces a few floors above you.

Finally, they take you into the tower’s courtyard where they display shackles and chains (and you can have your picture taken in shackles or on the rack). As you walk past this area, you are then led into the amber store, which is full of mirrors and glass, and you can purchase jewelry and other gorgeous artifacts.

Two interesting museums on their own- but to have two such contrasting themes in the same building is something else.

Lastly, as it is chilly here and the winds are usually blowing off the sea- I decided I needed some better personal weather protection. I purchased a tuque! (Canadian term). I am very proud and believe I am starting a new fashion statement. The family now walks 20 steps behind me.

More from Berlin next week.

All Saints Day

All Saints Day in Poland is probably the third biggest holiday of the year (after Christmas and Easter). People travel back to their family homes, and it is a day to remember the deceased. They travel to where their parents or grandparents are buried. It is a day spent in cemeteries and with families. But cemeteries are the focus. In fact, my University is closed Monday to allow students time to return from their home and families.

The stores have been preparing for this day with lanterns, candles and flower arrangements since the day we arrived a month ago. It is a pretty big deal.

I am first going to direct you to Lisa’s blog for a great description of the day and our weekend http://anamericanhouseholdinpoland.blogspot.com/2009/11/all-saints-day-and-more.html.

As for more on the cemetery where we chose to spend our All Saints Day, frankly the reason it was chosen is that we can see it from our front door. It is about 100 yards away. However, it was not until recently that we learned it is a very special cemetery. It is the resting place for all those Gdansk citizens killed (in their words murdered) between 1939 and 1945 by the Germans. So now, I get the added benefit of playing historian too.

The rows of headstones all note the date and in many cases the circumstances of their death. It is a walk through a terrible time in this city (and country).

The back row has people who were killed during the first couple of weeks of WWII ,which as you may recall started in Gdansk on September 1, 1939. There was really no military force in Gdansk (I think the records show about 100 troops total in the city on September 1st).  So all these are civilians that were killed as the German troops and tanks poured in.

Lisa mentions our parish priest who was arrested on September 2, 1939 right at the church we currently attend. He was beaten severely, placed into the local concentration camp (Stutthof) and finally taken out and executed on Good Friday, 1940. He has a frequently visited headstone and is on his way for beatification and maybe sainthood.

The cemetery also holds some of the remains and a large monument to a group of Polish Postal Workers who held off the Germans for several days. It was the first known resistance to the incoming German troops. After they ran out of ammunition, they were either shot on site or immediately tried.  A group of 38 postal workers was tried, sentenced and executed in the same day. The small group of Postal Workers are considered Polish national heroes for their resistance to the much, much larger German force. (this picture is of the actual Postal Workers who finally surrendered and were marched away. They were executed a little later. And then the memorial at our cemetery to these same workers.)

Finally, the vast majority in the cemetery are people that were “murdered”. Any Pole suspected of any resistance in this area was sent off to the Stutthof Concentration Camp http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stutthof_concentration_camp. When they died of the conditions or were executed by hanging, shot or via gas chamber, they were brought back to this cemetery. Stutthof is about 45 minutes east of our house. It held “prisoners” and Jews from this part of the country. Lots of grisly things occurred at this lessor known camp (like the experimental making of soap from humans, think about it). I would say at least half of the cemetery is full of people who perished at Stutthof.

Other Poles suspected of resistance never even made it to the camp- they were shot in the Gdansk streets by the Gestapo. They have markers too.

You can see these two headstones. On the side, one says “Murdered at Stutthof Camp” and other one says “Murdered by the Gestapo”. If you look at the engraving (you might have to double-click to enlarge- "zamordowany" means murdered.)

So in addition to having a nice All Saints Day to remember those who have gone before us, we also found this wonderful memorial to a terrible time in our newly adopted city.

I really like the way the Poles celebrate All Saints Day. It is a very nice and somber holiday based around family; past and present. The lanterns make the cemeteries glow from a great distance away.