Jokes aside: I (kind of) owe my life to Austria

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Yes, with all jokes about Austria being a fake country there is a story I should share in the interest of fairness.

During the Nazi occupation, my great-grandfather had a serious problem: his face. Due to his mother's DNA (she was a Jew, Christianized but still), his appearance was very semitic and, needless to say, it wasn't the safest thing in the occupied country, especially with frequent random mass arrests on the streets (so called "łapanka"). And due to his high position in the Home Army's intelligence, him being arrested was quite risky for the conspiracy. Not to mention the entire family would likely perish.

However, one thing worked for his benefit. Having been born in what was then a Prussian-held Grand Duchy of Posen, my great-grandfather was fluent in German (he was a freaking polyglot, teaching Latin and Ancient Greek before the war). Thus, when speaking he could pass for a native. Every time there was a łapanka, he'd just go straight to the officer and charge and start yelling at him for detaining a "fellow German", and the poor guy's conclusion was, naturally, "dude's yelling at me, so he must outrank me." For additional cover he would employ an Austrian accent. Sail Austrian accent was a proverbial nail (yes, I just wrote that). He'd be promptly let go with the one in charge saying something: "umm, sorry for that. Also I really like Ostmark".

So yes, I indirectly owe my existence to an Austrian accent.

No, I'm not making this stuff up.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

That's an amazing story, Kal. Thanks for sharing. 
That kept him and his family out of trouble for the whole occupation?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

That's an amazing story, Kal. Thanks for sharing.  
That kept him and his family out of trouble for the whole occupation?

On many occasions, yes. It's kind of amazing from the psychological point of view, since any of these officers could (from his point of view should) see his documents. Other than than my great-grandfather had a good official work assignment at the Central Welfare Authority, which, while tolerated by the Germans, was pretty much filled with the resistance members.

It's similar to my other great-grandfather, who was a policeman before the war and continued in the so-called Blue Police with approval from the conspiracy. There were many Home Army members who served there, along with blatant traitors). After the war he needed a statement from the witnesses to prove he was among the former group.

I guess I could mention another short story regarding to my first great-grandpa. During the occupation they were living in Powiśle and, from their balcony, had a good view at the train bridge. So whenever my grandpa was bored to death, great-grandpa would sent him to watch and count trains carrying German supplies, and then was actually using this Intel.

[Antonio the Sixth]

He sounds like a real badass!

And I guess that means you owe Tender an apology.

[Devout Centrist]

Did he support Mościcki? Was he a fan of the BBWR?

[Grand Wizard Lizard of the Klan]

Did he support Mościcki? Was he a fan of the BBWR?

[triggered]


Also, great story Kalwejt.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Did he support Mościcki? Was he a fan of the BBWR?

Władysław Bartoszewski, who was his cellmate for some time after the war, mentioned in his book great-grandpa was sympathetic to the Labor Party (not socialist, christian democratic instead), which was everything but cozy with BBWR.

[Devout Centrist]

Did he support Mościcki? Was he a fan of the BBWR?

Władysław Bartoszewski, who was his cellmate for some time after the war, mentioned in his book great-grandpa was sympathetic to the Labor Party (not socialist, christian democratic instead), which was everything but cozy with BBWR.

Aw. Poor Piłsudski. Can't an autocrat catch a break?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

He sounds like a real badass!

And I guess that means you owe Tender an apology.

Maybe Tender's great-grandpa was one of the German officers my great-grandpa cursed with Austrian accent?

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Did he support Mościcki? Was he a fan of the BBWR?

Władysław Bartoszewski, who was his cellmate for some time after the war, mentioned in his book great-grandpa was sympathetic to the Labor Party (not socialist, christian democratic instead), which was everything but cozy with BBWR.

Aw. Poor Piłsudski. Can't an autocrat catch a break?

There's been a funny situation after Piłsudski died in 1935 with three groups competing for leadership. The "Castle" (supporting the President, who was a total rubberstamper under Piłsudski, kind of like Duda is under Kaczyński), Śmigły-Rydz group and "the colonels" (Walery Sławek being a notable member). The two former groups essentially came to share power and you can see both Mościcki and Rydz being cited as pre-war leaders.

Ironic thing Piłsudski died weeks after passage of the April Constitution, which established a presidential system (with really sweeping powers), mostly for him to become one.

[LLR]

He sounds like a real badass!

And I guess that means you owe Tender an apology.

Never!

[Devout Centrist]

Did he support Mościcki? Was he a fan of the BBWR?

Władysław Bartoszewski, who was his cellmate for some time after the war, mentioned in his book great-grandpa was sympathetic to the Labor Party (not socialist, christian democratic instead), which was everything but cozy with BBWR.

Aw. Poor Piłsudski. Can't an autocrat catch a break?

There's been a funny situation after Piłsudski died in 1935 with three groups competing for leadership. The "Castle" (supporting the President, who was a total rubberstamper under Piłsudski, kind of like Duda is under Kaczyński), Śmigły-Rydz group and "the colonels" (Walery Sławek being a notable member). The two former groups essentially came to share power and you can see both Mościcki and Rydz being cited as pre-war leaders.

Ironic thing Piłsudski died weeks after passage of the April Constitution, which established a presidential system (with really sweeping powers), mostly for him to become one.

Wonder if Piłsudski would've made a difference in 1939. Probably not, but it's fun to think.

Speaking of my ancestry, my great grandfather on my matrilineal side survived the Armenian genocide by hiding in the basement. Later they immigrated to Marseille and then to New Orleans. He survived because he was half Turkish.

Sadly no Polish, but I do have Lithuanian ancestry dating back to the 17th century.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Did he support Mościcki? Was he a fan of the BBWR?

Władysław Bartoszewski, who was his cellmate for some time after the war, mentioned in his book great-grandpa was sympathetic to the Labor Party (not socialist, christian democratic instead), which was everything but cozy with BBWR.

Aw. Poor Piłsudski. Can't an autocrat catch a break?

There's been a funny situation after Piłsudski died in 1935 with three groups competing for leadership. The "Castle" (supporting the President, who was a total rubberstamper under Piłsudski, kind of like Duda is under Kaczyński), Śmigły-Rydz group and "the colonels" (Walery Sławek being a notable member). The two former groups essentially came to share power and you can see both Mościcki and Rydz being cited as pre-war leaders.

Ironic thing Piłsudski died weeks after passage of the April Constitution, which established a presidential system (with really sweeping powers), mostly for him to become one.

Wonder if Piłsudski would've made a difference in 1939. Probably not, but it's fun to think.

Piłsudski was right about the danger presented by Nazi Germany (even proposed a preemptive strike), but he was utterly incapable of understanding the modern warfare. He continued to believe in the calvary, considering tanks and planes a "toys", while also ignoring the navy.

Then again, almost everybody else were out of date then.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Hey, I have some Lithuanian ancestry too

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

He sounds like a real badass!

And I guess that means you owe Tender an apology.

Never!

Yeah, it's hard for us to forget and forgive Tender for all the trauma he caused to Dave.

[aross]

Amazing story. Of course, Austrians were particularly common in the ranks of Nazi hierarchy, so that makes a lot of sense.

My grandfathers were technically members of opposing armies, but neither ever saw combat IIRC.
(British side scored high in some test, got attached to the signals almost immediately and finished the war on Lake Garda, he was rather sad to soon be airlifted back to post-war Glasgow . Austrian granddad was conscripted into the Volkssturm near the end, got as far as the Czech border and was lucky to have a sane commander who sent everyone home. Later ended up as a mechanic in an American POW camp, got offered a job in the US by the Army and always regretted he didn't take it.)

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Amazing story. Of course, Austrians were particularly common in the ranks of Nazi hierarchy, so that makes a lot of sense.

I guess my great-grandpa was really lucky never to bump into Standartenführer Hans Landa.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I'm pretty sure it was a case with some of my family members, given my ancestors lived in both Russian and Prussian partition, and the two fought against each other during WWI. Don't know details, though.

Non-combat related, but my great-grandma's brother was an ardent Lithuanian nationalist, while her other brother was injured while fighting Lithuanians. Ah Europe.

[Torie]

I am a bit confused why an Austrian accent had a particular cachet over other German accents with the occupying Nazi's in Poland.

[Tender Branson]

Maybe Tender's great-grandpa was one of the German officers my great-grandpa cursed with Austrian accent?

No.

My granddad was 17 when he was "drafted" into the Nazi army during the Volkssturm and was sent to the Italian/French front.

When someone from the family talked with him later on about the World War, he started crying - so nobody ever talked with him about the war because everyone knew that pretty gruesome things must have happened to him and others there that left him traumatized. He then returned home in '45 to a destroyed Austria and had to survive with not more than a dumpling a day at the farm of my great-grandparents. Pretty tough times back then, unimaginable now ...

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Maybe Tender's great-grandpa was one of the German officers my great-grandpa cursed with Austrian accent?

No.

My granddad was 17 when he was "drafted" into the Nazi army during the Volkssturm and was sent to the Italian/French front.

When someone from the family talked with him later on about the World War, he started crying - so nobody ever talked with him about the war because everyone knew that pretty gruesome things must have happened to him and others there that left him traumatized. He then returned home in '45 to a destroyed Austria and had to survive with not more than a dumpling a day at the farm of my great-grandparents. Pretty tough times back then, unimaginable now ...

My other great-grandma was in the concentration camp after the Warsaw Uprising and, according to my mom, never talked about this, except for one small hint on some occasion.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I am a bit confused why an Austrian accent had a particular cachet over other German accents with the occupying Nazi's in Poland.

Hm. I remember reading a (fictional) story about a Soviet agent working under false identity in Germany. To be safer he assumed a cover of a Volga German ("ah, so that's why you're talking so funny"). I guess Prussian would be too close to home.