A folk ensemble from Germany during the St. Dominika sang the song “Ein Heller und ein Batzen”, popular during World War II among Werhmacht soldiers. PiS MP Kacper Płażyński responded to the scandalous situation, pointing out on the pages of the wPolityce.pl portal that “this isn’t even so much impudence as an expression of contempt, an attempt to show that they are not afraid and that they will do as they please.” However, for Bartosz Wieliński of “Gazeta Wyborcza”, the Germans sang an “anthem”, and the reaction of the PiS MP “amused him.
Scandal at the Dominican Fair
On Sunday at the St. Dominika in Gdańsk, before the performance on stage, the folk band, which came with the official delegation from Middle Franconia, performed the song “Ein Heller und ein Batzen”.
During World War II, the song was very popular among Wehrmacht soldiers. among other things in the film “Forbidden Songs” German soldiers were shown singing this song. In Poland it is known as “Heili, Heilo, Heila”, although the words of the chorus are “Heidi, Heido, Heida”. The song is considered the unofficial anthem of the Wehrmaht.
READ ALSO: Is this how Gdańsk Dulkiewicz has fun? Scandal at the Dominican Fair! The favorite song of the Wehrmacht was sung
Płażyński: “How much contempt do they have for us”?
PiS MP Kacper Płażyński indicated in an interview with the wPolityce.pl portal that the song that echoed in Gdańsk is not an “ordinary song”. The song is remembered by Poles who survived the German occupation. Although the content of the song is cozy, for Poles who had to “watch German soldiers march through their cities” during World War II, it was nothing funny.
When the Germans come to Gdańsk after so many years after the war and carry out such works, all I can do is hold my head and wonder how much contempt they must have for us. Because I just don’t believe in fairy tales that people who sing professionally don’t know what they’re singing
– emphasized Kacper Plazynski.
READ MORE: ONLY WITH US. “Heidi, Heido, Heida” in Gdansk? Płażyński: The Germans feel at home – in the worst sense of the word
In the end, the German delegation apologized for the song “Ein Heller und ein Batzen”. The organizers of the St. Dominika reported that the team was “unaware of its unequivocally negative association in Poland.”
SEE ALSO: The informal national anthem of the Wehrmacht at the Dominican Fair. The German delegation apologizes for “Ein Heller und ein Batzen”. How does it translate?
Funny situation?
However, the journalist from “Gazeta Wyborcza” Bartosz Wieliński sees no problem in the whole situation. He even stated that MP Kacper Płażyński’s response “amused” him.
Wieliński wrote in the commentary to “Wyborcza” that “Ein Heller und ein Batzen” is a song “in the style of the Polish Pije Kuba do Jakuba”. It was sung by peasants, students and soldiers, because “it’s good to march to the chorus”. He also stated that “In Poland, the closer to the elections, the more PiS politicians are exposed to anti-German madness. The performance of a folk song by a German folk band could not go unnoticed.”
In response to MP Płażyński’s words, Wieliński mocked that the politician “associated Heidi (Adelka) with the Nazi salute”.
I feel sorry for him
– mocked the journalist from “Wyborcza”, adding that there are also people in other German-occupied countries who also remember other songs, and “Ein Heller und ein Bautzen” was not written in the time of the Third Reich, but ” 100 years earlier”.
MP Płażyński also claims that the performance of “Ein Heller und ein Bautzen” in Gdańsk is “a symptom of contempt for history”. I would have agreed with him if he had been consistent and condemned his fellow party member Arkadiusz Mularczyk, the deputy head of the Foreign Ministry, who had just sent his report on reparations to nearly 3,000. Polish local government officials. The parcels are delivered by the courier company DHL, owned by … the German Post Office, the successor of the Reich Post Office, which was one of the pillars of Nazi Germany during the war
Wielinski scoffed.
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Internet users comment
Twitter users reacted to Wieliński’s absurd statements.
They sang this anthem as they murdered Poles, looted our property and raped Polish women. That’s an anthem
– wrote Sylwia Malinowska.
No change in Michnik. Germans sing national anthems, Poles kill Jews
– added Marcin Jarosz.
Władysław Fołtyn, prisoner of Auschwitz in Germany, witnessed the first execution in the camp. To the sounds of a “folk festival song”. You know what, @gazeta_wyborcza? You don’t even deserve contempt
– noted Emilia Kamińska.
Well, nothing stands in the way of singing “Heili Heilo…” at opposition rallies. Maybe they do it better than with the Polish national anthem. Wyborcza will certainly substantiate that there is nothing, absolutely nothing wrong with it
– Włodzimierz Graff wrote.
Editor T. Wieliński of @gazeta_wyborcza is feeling immensely amused. Poles are somewhat less, but cultural differences are noticeable here. Maybe he has Polish relatives or colleagues? Will they explain it to him?
– added Wojciech Biedron.
wkt/PAP/wPolityce.pl/TT/wyborcza.pl
Source: wPolityce
Emma Matthew is a political analyst for “Social Bites”. With a keen understanding of the inner workings of government and a passion for politics, she provides insightful and informative coverage of the latest political developments.