The document summarizes interviews with several grandmothers about life in the past. Some key findings include: - The grandmothers started working between ages 18-20 on average and got married around age 22 on average. - They finished their education around age 18 by completing primary school or technical college. - Women in cities commonly held jobs like teachers or nurses, while rural women often stayed home. - Meals were similar but used less variety of products than today. - School rules were stricter then, punishing bad behavior, and students used nibs/ink instead of pens. - Most grandmothers were content with their lives and wouldn't change anything if they could go back

1. Life in the past
Interviews with the older generation
The Polish team of Erasmus+
„Get Plugged To Rural Life”

2. Questions

3. 1. What age did you start working?
Where?
• Dawid’s grandma: I started working when I was 18 years old. I worked
in the Construction Design office
• Kamil’s grandma: I started working when I was 19 years old at the fish
headquarters.
• Mariam’s grandma: I started working when I had 20 years, I
was music teacher. (At music school).
• Nadia’s grandma: I was 17 when I started working at the Post Office.

4. 1. What age did you start working?
Where?
• Aleksander’s grandma: I started working at the age of 19 at the
university library.
• Natalia’s grandma: At the age of 21 as a maths teacher.
• Jakub’s grandma: I started working when I was 20 years old. My first
and last place of work was the Medical University in Poznań for 43
years.
• Maja’s grandma: When I was 18 and a half years old in the food lab.
• Kuba’s grandma: When I was 16 I started working in an office.

5. 2. Tell me something about your
school.
• Dawid’s grandma: When I was 7 years old I went to a primary school
number 50 in Poznań on Dębiec. In school we had to wear a navy blue
apron with a white collar. On the sleeve we had to have a shield with the
number of our school.
• Kamil’s grandma: My school was far from my home. It is still located on
Cegielskiego Street and has large classrooms.
• Mariam’s grandma: My school was in the city center, it had 4 floors. There
were good teachers. We learned English and Russian.
• Nadia’s grandma: I went to different clubs, I really liked to learn, but I did
not like Maths.

6. 2. Tell me something about your
school.
• Aleksander’s grandma: I went to elementary school in Poznań and there were
separate classes for girls and boys.
• Natalia’s grandma: I had very nice memories of the primary school I have attended
for 7 years because I had great teachers.
• Jakub’s grandma: I attended an eight-year primary school and then a medical high
school in Poznań. I remember the primary school very fondly. It was a small school
so no one was anonymous. In high school, the classes were very numerous. We
went in two shifts. I liked practical classes in the hospital very much.
• Maja’s grandma: I went to a school with 7 classes, we studies less. The Maths was
different, there was was no division into consonants and vowels. The boys learned
to chop wood and the girls learned to embroider. We wrote not with pens, but with
pens with nibs and ink.
• Kuba’s grandma: I went to school in Pyzdry and went 2 km to school.

7. 3. What age did you get married?
• Dawid’s grandma: I got married when I was 24 years old
• Kamil’s grandma: I got married at the age of 25.
• Mariam’s grandma: I got married when I was 18 years old.
• Nadia’s grandma: When I was 21 years old.
• Ale Aleksander’s grandmother
Kamil’s grandmother

8. 3. What age did you get married?
• Aleksander’s grandma: I got married at the age of 25.
• Natalia’s grandma: At the age of 22.
• Jakub’s grandma: I married my husband in 1976, I was 21.
• Maja’s grandma: I got married at the age 25 years old.
• Kuba’s grandma: When she was 21 she got married.

9. 4. What schools objects did you use?
• Dawid’s grandma: We used feathers, pencils and pens.
• Kamil’s grandma: We used the same school objects like now.
• Mariam’s grandma: I used books, notebooks, rulers, rubbers, pens.
• Nadia’s grandma: We used: maths' compasses, rulers and geometric
shapes.

10. 4. What schools objects did you use?
• Aleksander’s grandma: At school I wrote in my notebooks with a pen and a
nib, which had to be dipped in ink and inkwell. I also wrote with a pencil.
• Natalia’s grandma: The same as nowadays but less fancy.
• Jakub’s grandma: In the first grade of primary school, I used an abacus. There
were no calculators, tablets, computer machines. I used a ruler, set square,
compass, protractor. At geography lessons I used maps and a globe.
• Maja’s grandma: We used a pencil, eraser, ruler, pen with compass.
• Kuba’s grandma: We used a pen and ink.

11. 5. Did women in that time work? What
jobs did they do?
• Dawid’s grandma: A lot of women worked. They were for example
engineers, doctors, teachers and chefs.
• Kamil’s grandma: Women in those years worked and did all
professions.
• Mariam’s grandma: Yes, in that time woman work. They worked at
building jobs. For example, they plastered wall or painted the walls.
• Nadia’s grandma: Yes, they did work, there were various jobs:
cashiers, dealers, bank employees, dressmakers, doctors. Obviously,
men had the same jobs.

12. 5. Did women in that time work? What
jobs did they do?
• Aleksander’s grandma: In those years, women often did not work
but cared for their children and family at home. Their husbands
worked and had to earn enough money to cover everything.
• Natalia’s grandma: Different jobs.
• Jakub’s grandma: In the old days, rural women rarely worked. In the
city where there were nurseries and kindergartens, women went to
work. Most often they worked in the hospitals and schools trade.
• Maja’s grandma: Women worked as seamstresses, saleswomen,
laborers and many other professions.
• Kuba’s grandma: Yes, they did different jobs.

13. 6. Can you describe a typical meal plan
for a week?
• Dawid’s grandma: There were a lot of dishes for example: tomato soup, doves,
pasta, chicken soup, beetroot soup, pork chop and dumplings.
• Kamil’s grandma: I ate milk soup in the morning or bread with liver, cottage cheese,
jam or sausages. For dinner a vegetable soup, dumplings or cucumber soup. For
supper some bread.
• Mariam’s grandma: For breakfast some bread and butter and honey, cheese and
cup of tea. For dinner soup or meat with vegetable, salad. For supper some fruit or
milk with biscuits.
• Nadia’s grandma: For Monday, there was a tomato soup. For Tuesday, there were
schnitzels. For Wednesday, dumplings with potatoes and bacon.Thursday- potatoes
with white cheese. For Friday, fish and potatoes. Saturday- pickled cucumber soup.
And for Sunday I had a chicken soup.

14. 6. Can you describe a typical meal plan
for a week?
• Aleksander’s grandma: We ate dishes similar to today’s although the
food was much more modest.
• Natalia’s grandma: Milk soup for breakfast, a tomato soup for lunch, a
sandwich with ham for dinner.
• Jakub’s grandma: When I was working, I was planning meals for the
whole week.
• Maja’s grandma: Breakfast: milk soup, scrambled eggs, lunch: fruit, bun.
Lunch: dumplings, potato dumplings. Afternoon tea: an apple, a slice of
bread.
• Kuba’s grandma: breakfast- a roll with ham; dinner- potatoes and
chicken; super- a piece of cake and a boiled egg.

15. 7. Did you go to school? Up to what
age?
• Dawid’s grandma: I went to a primary school number 50 in Poznań,
then college number 9 also in Poznań and then to the Technical school
on the Rybaki Street. I finished my education when I was 20 years old.
• Kamil’s grandma: I went to school until 19 (to technical secondary
school).
• Mariam’s grandma: Yes, I went to school. Up to 16.
• Nadia’s grandma: Up to 14 years old.

16. 7. Did you go to school? Up to what
age?
• Aleksander’s grandma: I studied until the age of 28. I went to
elementary school, technical school and university.
• Natalia’s grandma: So until I was 21.
• Jakub’s grandma: I went to school since I was seven, I finished my
education when I was 20.
• Maja’s grandma: I attended elementary school and chemical technical
college. I was 18 years old when I finished my studies.
• Kuba’s grandma: I finished school at the age of 16.

17. 8. How was your relationship with your
parents?
• Dawid’s grandma: We had good relationships. But parents were more strict.
• Kamil’s grandma: The relationships with my parents were pleasant and parents
were often interested in their children's schooling.
• Mariam’s grandmother:With my mother was strict , but my father was friendly.
• Nadia’s grandma: I had a really good relationship with my parents, but when I was
14, my parents passed away.

18. 8. How was your relationship with your
parents?
• Aleksander’s grandma: I had a very good relationship with my parents.
• Natalia’s grandma: They were good.
• Jakub’s grandma: I remember my family home very fondly. I have 2 sisters
and a brother. My parents loved us very much. They took care of our health
and education. We respected them very much, unfortunately they are not
among us.
• Maja’s grandma: Good. We listened to our parents.
• Kuba’s grandma: I had a very good relationships with my parents.

19. 9. If you could go back, what would you
change?
• Dawid’s grandma: I would change nothing in the past.
• Kamil’s grandma: I would become a teacher.
• Mariam’s grandma: nothing.
• Nadia’s grandma: I wouldn't change anything.

20. 9. If you could go back, what would you
change?
• Aleksander’s grandma: I would change the wages of working people so that
you could buy everything you need for your home , and so that there were no
poor families .
• Natalia’s grandma: I would marry another man.
• Jakub’s grandma: I do not want to go back in time. I have a professional and
private fulfilment. I have two wonderful daughters who started families and
gave me five grandchildren.
• Maja’s grandma: I would change the whole world because man harms man.
Man should respect nature more.
• Kuba’s grandma: I would not change anything because everything was fine,

21. 10. Were school rules the same as now?
Can you remember any?
• Dawid’s grandma: There were different rules for example: Rating. The
worst rate was 2 and the best was 5. We had to also wear school uniforms.
• Kamil’s grandma: School rules were different. For example you went to the
corner or out the door as the punishment.
• Mariam’s grandma: We had to always wear a school uniform. If we did not
attend the lesson, the parent should be sent a letter about ,,why they did
not attend the lesson´´.
• Nadia’s grandma: No, because there were a lot of punishment like being
hit hard on the head, fingers or any parts of your body, they did pull your
ear really hard as well. Teachers wouldn't be able to do that anymore,
otherwise they would go to prison.

22. 10. Were school rules the same as now?
Can you remember any?
• Aleksander’s grandma: School rules were similar but different, for example if someone
didn't do their homework they were often punished by staying after school for an
hour or more when everyone else had finished and went home.
• Natalia’s grandma: They were stricter.
• Jakub’s grandma: Over the years, the school has changed a lot. Now there are
computers, tablets. Once you used the encyclopaedia. Each student wore a school
uniform, a navy blue apron with a white collar. There was a shield with the school
number on the apron. Then the students had greater respect to the teacher.
• Maja’s grandma: The rules where not what they are today. The student listened to
himself more and respect teachers. They were more disciplined. Now there is more
complicated teaching.
• Kuba’s grandma: In the past children were different and the teacher was the most
important.

23. The summary
• All students chose their grandmothers for interviews.
• Their grandmothers started working at the age of 18-20 on average.
• They got married at the age of 22 on average.
• Generally they finished school at the age of 18 years old.
• Women living in the city usually worked in different professions but the
majority of women in the countryside stayed at home.
• Meals were similar to those nowadays but less fancy and some products were
difficult to get.
• Most of their grandmothers wouldn’t have changed anything.
• School was different- students respected teachers and were punished for bad
behaviour. Moreover they used nibs and ink.

24. Thank you!
Students and teachers from Szkoła Podstawowa nr 2
z Oddziałami Dwujęzycznymi
Poznan, Poland