Want to know what it’s like to live in Germany? Yeah, me too. But I can tell you all about living in Poland!
Wait, whaaaaat? I can already hear you saying. You said your studies were in Germany! You can’t be living in Poland! That’s correct, dear readers, I am technically living in Germany…but the truth of the matter is a little convoluted.
My university is in Cottbus, a city in the Eastern part of Germany. Actually, make that the far Eastern part of Germany. It’s only 30 km from Poland…so it would take me about 30 minutes to drive to the Polish border. I could bike there in 90 minutes. I could hike there and back in a day — a strenuous day, sure, but still just one day.
I live pretty close to Poland, is what I’m saying.
The Polish influences are visible all around town. Many of the vendors in the farmers markets are Polish, selling fruits and veggies grown in Poland. The street signs are in German and Sorbian (a language that’s a “kissing cousin” of Polish, as a friend here so poetically phrased it).
The general atmosphere of the city also feels less like Germany, and more like a German-and-Eastern-European blend. Don’t get me wrong, there are definitely examples of the “efficient German bureaucracy” stereotype. Case in point: the university arrival process is so streamlined and organized that I was able to get health insurance, housing, and my school pre-registration done in one day. Completely done. 100%.
But…there are some things that even other Germans think are not-quite-German. Like the relaxed attitude towards deadlines and requirements. The general Cottbus approach seems to be Oh, you missed a deadline? Whatever, just try to make it up when you have a chance. Which seems like the opposite of rigorous expectations.
Enough about the weirdness of the town. Enjoy some pics of our lovely downtown altmarkt! (And see [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_one_page_text_link link=”#languagenotes” class=”” id=””]language notes [/fusion_one_page_text_link] for more info.)
Who is this guy? I have no idea, but his towering 2D 10-foot statue is a great landmark.
And on top of the general almost-kinda-Poland vibe, there’s also the omnipresent the Cottbus Crayfish. Yes, you read that right. The Cottbus Crayfish.
The crayfish is the official mascot of Cottbus, and it’s likeness is everywhere — the city seal, door frames, soccer (ahem, I mean fußball) gear. There’s even a lovely metal statue of a giant crayfish sitting downtown, waiting to surprise unsuspecting visitors with severe aversions to crustaceans.
Don’t worry, I’m already working on a crayfish-inspired Halloween costume…when I’m not distracted by our horticultural mall troll, or the beautiful architecture around town.
[/fusion_builder_column][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][fusion_menu_anchor name=”languagenotes”/]Language Notes
Altmarkt just means “old market.” It’s the part of Cottbus where, you guessed it, the old market was/is. Apparently it’s been around since the 1600s? I’m not sure of the exact dates and history. All the info I can find is in German, and my language skills are limited to very basic phrases and extensive pantomime. But if it has been around since then, then it was used as a market place since well before the USA was founded. Which…is yet another reminder that Europe is chock full of history.
Treated with due reverence, the altmarkt is currently used for holiday festivals that feature anthropomorphized pickles (more on that in another post), weekly farmers markets, and outdoor tourist dinning when the weather is nice.
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