The following thought struck me this afternoon in the office. So I found a website to help me with the calculation.
From Poland regaining independence at the end of World War I to the Poland's invasion by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union - 7,615 days.
That's from 11 November 1918 to 17 September 1939, when President Ignacy Mościcki crossed the border into Romania, taking with him the insignia of state, the day of Stalin's invasion of eastern Poland. The formal length of the Second Republic of Poland.
From Poland regaining democracy to the Smolensk air crash - 7,615 days.
That's from 4 June 1989, when Poles were able to vote in a partially-free election which led to the formation of a non-communist government, to 10 April 2010.
Spooky, eh, readers? Something for the numerologically inclined conspiracy theorists to get their teeth into! (Check data here)
Let's see how viral I can make this... translate into Polish please...
Od momentu odzyskania niepodległości Polski do najazdu naszej ojczyzny przez Hitlera i Stalina, i przekroczenie granicy Rumuńskiej przez Prezydenta Mościckiego upłynęło 7615 dni.
Od odzyskania demokracji przez Polskę do tragicznego wypadku w Smoleńsku upłnęło... 7615 dni.
Absolutely interesting. Thought provoking, even. But entirely coincidental. What I wonder is how you figured it out?!
ReplyDeleteYes, exactly my question (BTW, I haven't checked the data, and it is way past Prima Aprilis, you couldn't possibly be just making this up, right?). I assume that you must have first noticed the similarity in the time passed between the two periods. Then you went into closer inspection mode, then you discovered that the number of days passed was exactly the same. Did you faint? Did you lurch into Cabalistic addition? Did you jump out of the bathtub and run naked through the streets of Jeziorki?
ReplyDeleteLast year on 17 September as I cycled past the Soviet war memorial on Źwirki i Wigury (see post for 17 Sept 2009), on the 70th anniversary of Stalin's stab in the back and the end of the 2nd Republic, I worked out that it would be another 10 months or so before we get to the day when the Third Republic will have outlasted the Second one. Yesterday on my way to the office toilet, that memory returned. I Googled a website that would have a date calculator - and was shocked to see that number - 7,615 - come up twice.
ReplyDeleteIt is viral, but some other guys came up with the same calculation some time earlier - googling "7615 dni" gives a lot of similar results - analogies between II RP and 1989 elections -> Smolensk.
ReplyDeleteexample 1
example 2
In the evening I'm going to publish on PES a short compilation of recent conspiracy theories.
PS. word verification is "blair" - a prophecy for Labour Party from a former prime minister?
You named it. I was thinking of the very same thing: is the 3rd Polish Republic older than the second? How much time passed from the 4th june 1989 till now - have we already surpassed the duration of "Okres miedzywojenny"?
ReplyDeleteYour calculation shows that we did but we paid a large and ironic tribute to the past. I hope it will not give way to increase of Polish martyrology and conspiracies but rather a new starting point in modern Polish history. That of bulding bright new future.
Thank you Michael for coining that.
Another thought - is the volcanic ash bringing air traffic in large part of Europe into standstill another sign from above?
ReplyDeleteOh how I hate having to reply to Anonymouses. They don't know me, I don't know them.
ReplyDeleteI realise the Internet gives anonimity, but why don't some of you have courage to sign your comment with you names or at least identifiable nicknames?
About the volcanic ash - yes we're all going to die. :-) Someday.
ReplyDeleteThe volcanic ash might make it impossible for many officials to attend the funeral ceremony.
ReplyDeletewe're all going to die. :-) Someday
but not at the age of 7,615 days.
Nice shot. I havent thought of the funeral of Sunday - and yes if the ash persists then Obama, Sarko and others will have a perfect excuse for not attending.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a brilliant fuel for another myth in Polish history: the volcanic ash cloud (Supreme Sign) suspended air-traffic and made it impossible to make it to Wawel.
:-)
Results on Sunday.
Michael, your knowledge of Polish history is impressive. Tuesday is the day. :-)
ReplyDeleteAng