Today is September 1st. 86 years ago today Germany invaded Poland. Take a moment to remember the brave heros who fought and died against overwhelming odds. THAT is the bravery we should all aspire to. (Bowing my head in reverence)

https://www.politico.eu/article/poland-digital-tax-donald-trump-tariffs/

i don't see anyone discussing this here

i see ppl very passionate about immigration leeching off Poland etc

but it seems everyone is quiet when its big tech

New to Reddit here, so please be patient with me. I'm a foreign student who's been living in Poland for about a year now, and I wanted to share some thoughts that have been on my mind.

Before coming here, I'll be honest - I heard a lot of mixed things about Poland online. But my actual experience has been so different from what I expected, and I feel like I need to share the positive side that doesn't get talked about enough.

What really strikes me about Polish people is how genuine the connections are here. People still seem to truly care for each other without all the superficial drama I've seen in other places. There's something refreshing about how folks here keep life at a more peaceful pace - not constantly rushing or stressing about keeping up with some chaotic lifestyle.

I know there are discussions about Poland and tolerance, and yes, I've heard the accusations about racism and such. But from my experience living here, what I've observed is more about people wanting to preserve their culture and national identity, which I can understand. Most people I've met just want to live peacefully and maintain their traditions, which doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

Maybe I've been lucky with the people I've encountered, but I wanted to put this perspective out there since the negative stories seem to get more attention online.

Thanks for reading, and looking forward to being part of this community!

Pozdrawiam!

Is there any polish man/woman who is going to attend classes this year in the main university building? I would be happy to make new friends and helping you to settle in. I graduated myself two months ago but i'm still available enough

Hello everyone.

My grandfather was born in Poland, and I decided to obtain a copy of his birth certificate. In the section for the purpose of the document, I wrote "genealogia". The officials at the Urząd wrote back that I need to specify "do jakiego urzędu i w jakim celu".

Could you please advise what I can write?

Dear community,

As a historian in training, I recently became familiar with the existence of Jean Lapierre.

Lapierre was an Afro American man, possibly of Haitian origin, given his nickname 'Domingo.'
He had met Tadeusz Kościuszko during their campaign in the American Revolutionary War. The two likely became friends. And Lapierre later accompanied him back to his homeland, as his adjudant.
Kościuszko, a lifelong advocate for equality, likely saw Lapierre with unusual respect, with their friendship only being mediated by military rank.

Now here is my question - Jean Lapierre does not appear in history surrounding the famous Battle of Racławice (April 1794).
Neither does Jean Lapierre take part in any other battles that summer to free the Polish people from serfdom under Russian imperialism.
Only at the lost Battle of Maciejowice (October 1794), official documents tell that Jean Lapierre was in fact, present.
He and Kościuszko were captured, and Lapierre followed him as a prisoner of war.

Now here is the deal:
We know Lapierre was in Poland. We know he was one of the closest friends of the uprising's leader.
Was he just sitting at home, while his friend waged war? Did he come to Poland, only to fight one battle with his companion, lose it and go to prison?
Later, after being released, Lapierre devoted his life to French-Polish communication, and the administration of the Radziwiłłl family.

And here is another observation:
As a bookkeeper with a vast amount of military experience, he might have written a word or two about his past. But nothing is known to the world.
Now because of wars and fires, an amount of the Radziwiłł archives could have been lost. But even before his time at the magnate house, his presence in Polish history is significant.
We know more about some scythe bearing heroes, than we do about the very adjutant of one of Poland's biggest symbols of identity.

Unlike Władysław Jabłonowski, who has left more to history, and of course Kościuszko himself, Lapierre was buried in an unrecorded grave.
Artistically,historically and politically invisible, it appears that all information about Jean Lapierre is found by accident. Although it is broadly accepted that the Panorama of Racławice is a symbolic depiction, it might be missing a crucial figure.

I am looking for more information, and thought that you Polish experts could know more.

In 2024, a record 16,342 foreigners obtained Polish citizenship - 37% more than in the previous year. The most numerous group was made up of people from Ukraine. However, they accounted for just over half of all new citizens.

Poland has long been viewed as a central European country.

Yet as its green transition takes hold, and the fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine settles across the region, the country’s centre of gravity is starting to move north.

The Baltic Sea’s transformation into a geopolitical flashpoint has boosted the importance of Poland’s ports, which have been booming.