Where do I start with all this discussion which is bouncing all over the place like a ping-ball machine?
First. Let's start with the fact that this thread is assuming that AA and FS are the same person.
Secondly, FS's family was not Polish, they were Kashubian who were very early settlers who had lived along the coast line of what we know today as Poland. In FS's early years she spoke Kashubian, not Polish and not German. Once FS started school this is where she was forced to speak German and it was probably for the first time. It was probably difficult for FS in the beginning. How quickly she learned is unknown to us. Even the brightest children often flouder in the first few months or so.... Since her first language was not German, no matter how old she became,FS would carry her Kashubian root language somewhere in her speech. Yes, she could be smart enough to hide it but an expert linguist would discover it sooner or later.
Living in a multi-cultural area would mean that FS would have learned a sprinkling of other languages like Polish.
If FS's village was small and a closely knit Kashubian community [colony] then the only place German would have been spoken would have been in school.
If FS's village was a mixture of various communities and German was the dominate, then FS would have only spoken Kashubian in her home and to other Kashubians in their home or when greeting them on the street, stores, if the village had stores. German would have been spoken outside the home and to others.
It would be interesting to know more about the size of this community and it's make-up.
The German dialect taught in the schools would depend upon who the majority of German were and who was teaching and how educated they were. There are three basic dialect and each have their own clustered differences. They were Low German, Middle German, High German, and the rising new "High German" which was really a new standarized German taught in the univeristies, colleges and church schools. All but the new "High German" was referring to location and not to which was good or poor German. Although the same language, if a Low German person was thrust into a community of "High Germans" it might be awhile before he understand what they were saying.
I assume FS's village was not a important community and not in the city of Posen where things would be different.
So we have some basic unknowns.
(1) We don't know if FS's village was Kashubian or a mixture and if it was a mixture who was in the mix
(2) We do not know what dialect of German was taught to FS in school
(3) We do not know how easily she learned German once forced to learn it in school.
Posen was in Prussia [Germany] while FS lived in her village near this city. The laws and schooling would have fallen under what was required.
We do know that when Felix was asked to visit AA on 27 May 1927, which is seven years after AA had jumped into the Berlin canal, Felix testified [found on page 174 of Peter Kurth's ANASTASIA] that AA had "a strong resemblance" to his sister. And, he said the following:
"My sister Franziska spoke a little Polish and good German."
This is what Felix knew.
Now, people can have the opinion that Felix was not telling the truth. There are some people who do lies all the time, however, I have no evidence that Felix believed AA was his sister, therefore, if he believed AA was not FS then he was not telling any lies.
If you have evidence that Felix ever changed his mind or his testimony, I'd like to see it.
I do not know what Felix meant when he said FS spoke "good German". It could have a variety of meanings. She could speak German like the Germans in their community or the new "High German" which becoming standorized and used by the educated and the Royals.
I do not believe AA was GD Anastasia. Nor do I believe we need to tangle up fact with misinformation to prove our case.
AGRBear
