[Ger-Poland-Volhynia] Germans speaking Polish

[Rose Ingram]

Jerry Frank wrote:
>
> I can't speak much for the Germans who came directly out of Russian
> Poland but those from Volhynia could often communicate in at least 4
> languages - German, Polish, Yiddish, and Russian.  They learned
> German in their schools; they needed Polish to communicate with their
> landlords and some of the residents; Yiddish was required to
> communicate with the Jews in the market towns because Volhynia was
> located within the Pale of Settlement; and Russian was essential to
> communicate when they performed military service.

My father was born and raised in Kutno-Gostynin area of Russian Poland, and 
could speak German, Polish, Yiddish, and some Russian.   German was spoken 
at home.  He learned both German and Polish in school, but Polish was the 
main language used at his Railroad work until WWII.  (My parents spoke 
Polish when they didn't want 'us kids' to hear what they were saying.) 
Speaking Yiddish was also necessary to communicate with the large Jewish 
population in this area at that time.

Rose Ingram