Are these really features of Czech culture?

[Peterski]

So I discussed with one Silesian guy on another (Polish) forum and I said that there are no similarities between Czechs and Silesians.

He answered: You said that Czech culture did not influence Silesia. As a Silesian Pole, raised in Silesian culture, can I actually agree with that? In terms of language Silesians are Poles - Czechisms are frequent but unimportant, as are Germanisms. But in terms of culture? Some common features of Czechs and Silesians are: being ludic, the importance of living folklore, drinking beer, and merry singing of cheerful folk songs, brass bands, pubs, taverns, berrstuba and szlagiery.

So are Czechs actually ludic and folklore-oriented, cheerful people? That's not my impression of Czechs based on this forum. Let's also add to this that Silesians, unlike Czechs, are very religious and the cult of Mary is so important to them that they named their 2nd settlement in Texas Częstochowa:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cestohowa,_Texas

When it comes to folklore, my impression is that Silesian folk dances are lively, fast and cheery, and it makes them more similar to Slovak and Lesser Polish. While Czech folk dances are slower and more melancholic. I remember Magnolia once posted examples of Czech and Slovak folk dances.

As for drinking beer, yes that is very popular in Silesia but all of Poland is mostly a beer-drinking nation, not a vodka-drinking one:



He provided no evidence that beer-drinking tradition actually came to Silesia from Bohemia rather than developing independently.

[Dandelion]

Czech culture is just more refined, hence it often looks to a more folkish people with more simple tastes that Czech are without one.

[Peterski]

Czech culture is just more refined, hence it often looks to a more folkish people with more simple tastes that Czech are without one.

How is it more refined if it is basically a mostly peasant culture? Most of non-peasant stuff in "Czech" culture is often German.

On the other hand the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth had a native, Polish, high culture, developed by its Polish-speaking elites.

[Dandelion]

Czech embrace their German elements instead of whine about having been oppressed by German culture in the past. They aren't under any Germanisation pressure today anyway. Whatever Czech choose to embrace is part of their culture.

[Peterski]

Czech embrace their German elements instead of whine about having been oppressed by German culture in the past. They aren't under any Germanisation pressure today anyway. Whatever Czech choose to embrace is part of their culture.

We also embrace our German elements. I never whined about it - you are the one who constantly teases Poles about it in a nasty way.

The point is, however, that in Poland even Germans wrote in Polish (for example Stanislav Plater) while in Bohemia who wrote in Czech?

Franz Kafka wrote and published in German. There was a time when most of their society was Germanized, except for peasants.

[Peterski]

You invaded this thread with your off-topic comments, Danielion.

I was asking about the accuracy of that description of Czech cultural features, and you entered and provoked a shitstorm.

[Peterski]

Czech culture is just more refined, hence it often looks to a more folkish people with more simple tastes that Czech are without one.

Are you actually able to read? The guy who discussed with me described Czech culture as more folkish (he used the word ludic) than Polish.

And I actually argued with that because I think that they are not particularly folkish in Bohemia. Maybe in Czech part of Silesia they are.

[Dandelion]

Are you actually able to read? The guy who discussed with me described Czech culture as more folkish (he used the word ludic) than Polish.

And I actually argued with that because I think that they are not particularly folkish in Bohemia. Maybe in Czech part of Silesia they are.

Well, one stereotype I've heard and seen confirmed is that Polish women are more delicate and have more girlish activities whereas Czech women prefer to dress practical and enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, mountaineering and such. This is a generalisation of course, as individuals differ.

[Peterski]

They aren't under any Germanisation pressure today anyway.

But they never were. Because Austrians/Habsburgs were always more embracing of cultural diversity than Prussia.

Austrian Emperors were even accused of being Pro-Slavic and Pro-Czech by Adolf Hitler himself.

In Poland for some time we had to deal with a bit more aggressive and expansive version of a German neighbour.

[Peterski]

Well, Habsburgs were pretty oppressive when fighting against Czech Hussites. But later when Czechs embraced Catholicism they were no longer oppressed. Prussian oppression here was also mostly on religious grounds - Bismarck was Anti-Catholic not Anti-Polish, but he saw Polishness as the bastion of Catholicism.

Also Czech nobility was decimated in the Thirty Years' War. I've heard that even up to 90% of ehnically Czech nobles died.