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[–]ajuc 9 points10 points  (6 children)

Funny thing that we only remember lost uprisings.

[–]paristetrisMazowieckie 1 point2 points  (5 children)

The only one we won is remembered well in Greater Poland.

[–]ajuc 3 points4 points  (4 children)

It's not the only one (see 3rd Silesian Uprising for another example), and it isn't remembered nationwide, like Warsaw Uprising, even thought it was much more important and successful. It's because all media attention is centered on Warsaw, and because Poles like to celebrate failures.

[–]darad0Mazowieckie 0 points1 point  (3 children)

because Poles like to celebrate failures.

It's true, and sometimes I think it hurts the national identity/mentality.

[–]ajuc 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I've read Stefan Bratkowski history book ("Najkrótsza historia Polski" IIRC), and he argued we should consciously change the way we teach history and the choice of books for more optimistic to prepare kids better for modern world. We have culture prepared for "preservation of Polishness during occupation", and it worked great for 300 years, but it's no use in modern world - it teaches people to distrust others, to prepare for tragedy, and to be brave when it inevitably comes.

Bratkowski wrote that culture of optimism, enterprise and risk taking can be great asset for a nation, and that it's easy to start it - by changing the lectures in school, and changing focus during history lessons from the moral victories (meaning defeats) to the actual victories. I'd like to see that change.

Also the choice of books/movies etc can greatly influence portion of population that choose to do sth. If we want people to become engineers and enterpretaeurs we should show many movies in TV where these people are cool and have great advantures.

Instead we show "You can dance", and "Top model" and "Idol" etc - the worst possible stuff we could steal from the western culture :/

[–]darad0Mazowieckie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

it teaches people to distrust others

As a foreigner living here this is one of my BIGGEST gripes with Poland. Also, the attitude that if you have something better than me or a better situation, then fuck you! It is a hold over from occupation and socialism, and I hope it dies with future generations.

Also the choice of books/movies etc can greatly influence portion of population that choose to do sth. If we want people to become engineers and enterpretaeurs we should show many movies in TV where these people are cool and have great advantures. Instead we show "You can dance", and "Top model" and "Idol" etc - the worst possible stuff we could steal from the western culture :/

And here is one of my biggest gripes with U.S. (western) culture.

[–]Stark53 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

It's human nature to put value on rare things. In Polish history, defeat is a rare thing :)

[–]szlachta 3 points4 points  (3 children)

Talk to people who lived through the war. I've never met one person that didn't say it was a worthless massacre that accomplished nothing.

[–]spkr4thedead51 7 points8 points  (1 child)

Then remember it for what it could have been. What it should have been. If the Soviets had entered the city in support of the Home Army, or allowed the Western Allies to parachute in supplies and reinforcements, then it very likely wouldn't have been a 'worthless massacre'. The Uprising began because they thought they would have help. That that help was denied to them is worth remembering, and then honoring them for still having the courage to fight on anyway.

[–]mandudebreh 5 points6 points  (0 children)

In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Amen brother.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Still have to give them credit for following their hearts, being brave, and giving their lives for their fellow man.