Poland –

00:12 OT Steffen Möller, satirist
(reciting a Polish tongue-twister)
00:24 After Angela Merkel, Steffen Möller is the best-known German in Poland. He has lived in Warsaw for 17 years and for the last 7 years has played a German immigrant in the most popular Polish TV series. He offers satirical advice for Germans and Austrians who are considering emigration to Poland.
00:38 OT Steffen Möller, satirist
In Poland there is relentless negative thinking. And the merciless realism means they are a nation of depressives. The optimist in Poland, the optimist says, “It’s all pointless…whatever we do, in the morning the Russians will come and deport us to Siberia”. Then the pessimist says, “What nonsense are you talking! Deport? We’ll have to walk on foot!” To the left are the Russians, on the right the Germans, and so it goes on for a thousand years.
1:20
Krakow: this city in southern Poland claims to be the real cultural capital of the country.  Krakow is a university town with a long tradition, and it seems to have a thoroughly optimistic attitude towards life. The young students here are well-trained and eager to develop their country.
Poland was the only EU country whose economy continued to grow uninterrupted through the recent financial crisis.
End 1:38
1:41
This is Alek Janicki. He is a sculptor, artist and media developer. He is seen by many Poles as a kind of all-round genius.
He knows all the interesting and important people in Krakow.
01:51 OT Aleksander Janicki Medienkünstle r,
This is the so-called bunker-cafe. One of the largest galleries of modern art is also here; a sort of headquarters for artists, intellectuals, reformers and other living artists, who discuss the important questions of life over a coffee in the afternoon.
02:11Art and literature are discussed here, but also the history of Poland.  The historian Jurkowski, like many older Poles, considers the effects of 300 years of ever-changing foreign leadership.


2:24 OT Zbigniew Jurkowski, historians
For 300 years Poland was not independent. We only have been in the last 20 years and before that in the interwar period. What we identified then is the so-called Polish character. Previously you could be an inhabitant of Poland but you could not even be Polish.
Poles then were just as proud of their own language and their own literature. One had to fight for the Polish character and take part in the uprisings.  
02:50 OT Alek Janicki, Artist,
For 300 years they were trying to expel us, the Poles. It led to the natural reaction of resistance. It is human nature to want to decide about your own life and want to be free.
3:03
Next door sits a group of students. Surrounded by patriotism and constant reflections on the past, the young generation are starting to look beyond the Polish borders.
3:12 0T: Student 1 (.. tschje sje Polakjem) / HOFMANN
I feel more European than Polish. The borders and horizons are open. Patriotism only leads to xenophobia and racism. Here they always emphasize the importance of our national values ​​–you are a Pole and there is only Poland! That to me is just too narrow. Man is a citizen of the world ...
03:32 Student 2
The EU opens up new horizons, both culturally and politically, and above all economically. We have therefore just a lot more job opportunities. For the older generation it is all just virtual, they are not able to exploit these advantages.
03:52 And what about the concerns of Western Europeans, that these young and educated Poles will emigrate to the West and take away jobs?
04:00 OT Student 1
Of course I'm going on holiday abroad. But I do not want to work there. Why should we? Poland has given me my education for free. This must be appreciated. I must return this investment. You have to try to bring forward your own country.
04:20 Today is a special day. The mayor of Krakow is giving students the keys to the city. On so-called “Youth Day” the governors celebrate the young generation who will lead the country in a few years.
04:32
Whilst in Spain, Greece, France and other European countries the youth are out on the street rebelling, in Poland they are partying.  
04:43
Of course there is also a certain level of skepticism about their government. But there are jobs available and the quality of education is high. In recent years some young people started leaving the country looking for work - but most have stayed.
05:01 (picture at small group)
Jacek, Monika, and Piotr have finished their studies. Now they want to help improve the situation in their country. But everyone has his or her own perspective on the situation.

05:10 Student 1
In the future many of us will sit in important positions. In politics or architecture for example. However there is still such an inertia of the people who currently hold these positions. That is difficult for us young people. I see this as the main problem.
05:28 Student 2
I'm from a small town near Krakow. There is a strong local patriotism. We have many small initiatives there such as a film discussion club and therefore have some influence on what happens there. I have no political ambitions in mind. But here, with my friend, we are trying to revive the arts scene.
05:51 Student 3
My family and friends are all here. I'd never considered leaving, but I do think about it now. Instead of figuring out how to go forward economically, the public debates are about where we should put a monument to the late President and where not - things like that. This is unbearable in the long run.
06:10
Krakow is extremely popular as a destination for study, especially because of its cultural diversity. In the summer when it has many visitors, the city  sometimes feels like a big youth camp.
06:38 Aleksander Janicki
I was born over there, in the second house to the right in the Floriani street. So I was lucky enough to have been born directly in the centre, in the cultural capital of Poland. The overworked and tired people of Warsaw often come to Krakow over the weekend to enjoy the lifestyle here, which runs much slower and more comfortably. Someone has calculated that no other city has as many bars, pubs and restaurants per square metre as Krakow.
07:05
Next stop: Warsaw, which has developed in recent years into a vibrant European metropolis. Investment is being poured in here and the cityscape is changing almost daily. The economy is growing constantly: even during the years of crisis there was strong growth.
07:28
Even the football stadium for the European Championships next year is almost finished, even if it is a little later than planned.
07:35
In the larger Polish cities a prosperous middle class has formed, which can afford the prices in the western shopping centres.
07:45
Jakub Lipinski is the prototype of aspiring young Poles. He founded a software company two years ago. He now has 30 employees in a thriving business.
07:53 OT Jakub Lipinski, Founder
Warsaw is a truly fantastic place for business. Very dynamic, the people here are hungry for success. They are trained and, above all, they are very good. If somewhere there is a gap in the market, immediately a company is created that tries to fill this gap. Young people want to succeed in business; they really fight for it. This is because for a long time this possibility has not been easy for us Poles.
When people come from other cities to Warsaw, their first observation is that the people are running the whole time. One minute they’re here, the next they’re gone. There is surely something in that. The pace of life, the pace of work is different here than in other cities. Everything happens much faster.
08:44
Jakub’s company, ‘Polidea’ is based in this glass palace in the government district.
08:47
The young Mr. Lipinski and his 30 employees develop software applications for portable devices like cell phones and laptops, mainly for foreign customers.
08:58 Jakub Lipinski, Founder
I've always known that I do not want to work in a large company. For the last 2 years I've been looking at the market more closely and realized that the era of big screens will soon be over and that now everything is transferred to the small and since then I have founded the company, which is obviously very satisfying.
The company is working for the international market, 90% are sold abroad, so we are also building an international group. Among these international workers is John, who comes from Great Britain.
11:32 (reporter question) in English

09:38 – John
It was a very personal reason Basically I met my wife, and she is Polish, through the internet. And I really liked it. I like the food, I like the people. I found the guys here are extremely keen,very hungry for everything - not only for food - and there is a good sense of energy here, whilst in England - I hope no British people are watching this – I found it was a little more relaxed. Everyone expected to have a high standard of living, where as here…its got a really good energy I’d say.  
10:20 There is certainly a high standard of living available in Warsaw.  
10:25 Michal Bedzia is the owner of this restaurant in the commercial heart of the capital.
10:38 In his garden sit the more refined and wealthy society of Warsaw, the businessmen and diplomats.
Here business meeting are held, deals are negotiated or simply a high-class lifestyle is enjoyed. 
10:51
On the other side of the square Michal Bedzia owns several luxury shops and for some time has been developing his own brand.
11:03 Michal Bedzia, businessman
 We started the business about four years ago. That was a novelty on the market because we are one of the few shops in Europe and we were the first shop in Poland that are offering the customer the purchase of high quality brand clothes and furniture in one place. We are a so-called concept-store with some furniture from Belgium and Holland.
We have also a novelty this season – exquisite dog accessories from England, with really nice details.
11:32
Of course, buyers of such luxury are limited. But those who have the money aren’t ashamed to show their wealth.
11:46 Michal Bedzia, businessman
Nowhere in Europe is it easy to do business. But Poland is a country that is being developed. Therefore, there are more opportunities for the development of business, because there are many things still not here yet. Together with my wife, I travel all over the world letting it inspire us and, therefore, can easily bring things here that are not yet available.
12:10
In the garden of the restaurant Jakub Lipinski has just had a meeting with two other young business people, also from the computer industry.
12:21
Mr. Zoltowski also owns a software company. Here in the luxury garden he meets with his business partners, sometimes with his son and his wife. Business is booming and he has no worries about the future.
12:36 Ludwik Zoltowski, founder
In Poland, people of our generation have a very strong energy. Our generation finished their education in the 90s. We had a market economy education. We have received the appropriate instruments, the knowledge of new technological solutions, the legal requirements and the knowledge about the right marketing. Our parents didn’t have this.  
13:01 Jakub Lipinski, Founder (Fast read)
There are of course no guarantees, like there are in a big company, when there is a certainty that every month a salary is coming into your account. There is more fighting, more risk. But the potential gains are of course larger.
13:13 Rozwadowski
There is with us a certain attitude. In Poland we cope in any situation. No matter how difficult the situation is, somehow one can always solve the problems. Naturally, that counts for a lot nowadays.   

13:25 Ludwik Zoltowski
I spent a year in the United States. 10 years ago I brought my business idea back here after working in New York. There I saw what possibilities there are for applications on the phone. I came back and got my first game written when mobile phones were still black and white. Those stories where people have been working in the West far below their qualifications and have discovered something, which they have then developed here - there are many such stories.
13:52 So do these businessmen believe there a stigma attached to Poles taking jobs away from their Western neighbours?
14:01 Jakub Lipinski, Founder
I concern myself with foreigners. It's not a bad thing. The problem for the Austrians and Germans is not that Poland now comes to them, but the problem will be when they go away again and these workers are then missing.
14:17 Ludwik Zoltowski, founder
And here in Poland we are not afraid of well-qualified people finding a better paying job somewhere else and us having too few workers here. I'm now working on businesses in the east, in Ukraine. It is very close, there is a similar culture, and economically it's all very effective. Should I be missing people here, I’ll find them elsewhere. The market knows no borders: we have learned that in the West.
14:48 A few blocks away is one of the fastest growing exchanges in the world. The Warsaw Stock Exchange.
Marcin Przeszlowski is the head of the marketing department. He has done the job for 4 years and wants to get out whilst it is still riding high.
15:01 Marcin Przeszlowski, spokesman for the Warsaw Stock Exchange
The most important place in our stock market is the so-called parquet, which is up here. Here the shares are traded of the big companies that have a value of about € 150 billion. We are the largest exchange in Central Europe.
15:18 A new company has just been presented to the Warsaw Stock Exchange, which is now larger than the Stock Exchange in Vienna. There have even been co-operation negotiations, although so far these have failed.
 (Bell ringing)
15:31
The head of the Stock Exchange, Ludwik Sobolewski, believes that the foundation for the Polish economy’s success today was laid earlier.
15:40 Ludwik Sobolewski Exchange chief
Capitalism was introduced here 20 years ago. This was very successful, the rapid transition from one system to another. We haven’t gone down a slow evolutionary path that often leads to a shutdown. It was not easy and led to some social discord in the beginning, but on the whole it was very successful.
16:03
Andrzej Mleczko is the most famous cartoonist of Poland. He knows perhaps better than anyone the country’s people and their mentality. During the communist era he targeted the leaders. Like almost everyone in Poland he welcomes the changes, but also sees a darker side.

16:18 Ot Andrzej Mleczko, cartoonist
Today, business has picked up again and lots of businessmen now have their own company. And yes it works somehow. But of course there are victims who are with me here on the ground. But, and this must also be seen, this capitalism civilises itself slowly.
And another thing. The Poles have always had a strange relationship with their neighbours to the east. Not really funny, because there were a lot of real reasons to fear the brothers in the East. But now the whole policy is focused on this fear, which really annoys me. We live in a time of peace. Russia wants peace and is not attacking us. The people are permanently scared of attack from the east and asked the Americans to establish missiles here. This is strange for me and really ridiculous.
But the biggest problem with the behaviour in Poland, if I may pose as a sociologist, is that we can not decide whether we have a superiority complex or inferiority complex. If one has such a split psyche, of course ,it leads to stress! And a person with stress behaves irrationally. Until we rid ourselves of this stress and realize that we are a pretty normal country, of medium size, we will move all the time from one wall to another, as we say in Poland.
17:38 Back in Munich, Steffen Moller’s cabaret performance is entertaining the audience with tales of Polish nationalism.
17:46 OT Steffen Möller, satirist
Think of the great Polish composer Peter Tchaikovsky. Yes, I also thought he was Russian. But I learned very quickly in Poland that his grandfather was probably Polish. It doesn’t matter ladies and gentlemen, the longer you live in Poland, the more you will notice that all the greats of world history ultimately come from Poland.
It is not a joke. No, it is not a joke. Wait a moment. Half the German national team I need not explain. Clearly Marco Polo is Italian and means Mark of the Poles. Now there is even a new theory: Christopher Columbus was a Pole.
18:35 Steffen Möller is in the Western Polish city of Poznan, where he made just one appearance. Even so, he finds walking around in the city is a bit tedious.
18:48 After appearing in a popular Polish TV series he is a star here and people on the street immediately recognize him.
18:57 So, off the stage, what does this satirist really think of Polish nationalism?
19:01 Steffen Möller, satirist
There is certainly in Poland the tendency to think that everything important in the world had its beginnings in Poland. On the other hand, the poles have such a self-critical attitude towards their country it becomes almost masochistic. Yes, they will say, “The jam in Poland is worse than in Germany and the soccer stadiums are not ready for the European Championships next year.” I find this mixture of scepticism and patriotism very pleasant, so for anyone who finds the Polish national identity missionary-like or nationalistic, I can only advise they go to Russia or America. Or, maybe also to France. I believe more and more that we Germans are an exception, for obvious reasons, and the Polish mixture of scepticism and pride I find very pleasant.
19:57 Steffan emigrated from Germany because he was looking for something new in his life.
He looked first to Italy, but finally settled in Poland.
20:09 OT Steffen Möller, satirist 
The mentality is exactly right. At first glance it seems the same as we are in Germany, that is very sceptical and buttoned-up, but the Poles are really the Italians of the North. In the beginning they seem aloof, but when you get to know them better, they are very welcoming like the Italians. This mixture between German and Italian was just right for me.
20:33 Back in Krakow. This iron gate played an important role in Polish history. It is the gateway to the Schindler's factory, made ​​famous by the Spielberg film, "Schindler's List". In the original factory Oscar Schindler saved more than 1000 Jewish lives during the Nazi era through the falsification of his staff lists. It has now been converted into a museum of modern art.
Today's opening is a rendezvous for the entire cultural and intellectual prominence of the city.
21:11This performance art is a form of protest against the violence in the world, this bloody sheet acknowledging the events of the past.
21:19 Yet in spite of everything that happened here, the agenda is to look ahead to the future.
21:27 Piotr Krajweski is an artist and cultural manager here.

21:32 Piotr Krajweski, cultural manager
Today, there are no icons for the future. In the '60s it was the flights into outer space and the atom, which are now symbols of the past, like the computer technology that symbolized the future in the 90s.
Today I see another future for us in the form of changes in human relationships: new organizational forms that will help people to discover themselves. As I see the future, these will be the main changes.
22:03  (translation question Reporter) So you are optimistic?
22:05 Piotr Krajweski, cultural manager
I'm an optimist, and you? you've probably said no future?
22:09 Alek Janicki, artist
No, I'm an optimist. This place shows that we must not be afraid: the fact is that things are better now and not worse.
22:16 Poland's communist past is now often just a laughing stock. In the suburb of Nowa Huta, which was built by the Communists as a major urban proletariat settlement, young Poles lead foreign tourists on a tour back through the old days.
22:32 Linda and John have come here from Australia.
22:39 (translation reporter question) What do these people know about communism?
22:42 Tour Guide
They know about Lech Walesa, the Solidarity Movement and the long queues outside the shops. But it is hard for them to understand why there has been communism in Poland and not democracy and capitalism. And so we help them to understand.
22:53 (translation reporter question) And you, as a young person, understand it?
22:57 Guide:
Most of it I know from my grandmother, who is very anti-communist. My parents do not talk about it much – they prefer to talk about the future.
23:11This communist era Trabi runs today only as a tourist attraction. There may still be money to be made from taking visitors back in time, but for the Poles, things are moving in the opposite direction.
23:25 END