IKEA in Cold War Poland

[Raellus]

I'm reading Malcom Gladwell's David and Goliath and I learned that IKEA manufactured parts for its flat-pack furniture kits in Poland during the Cold War. I'd not come across this tidbit in any of my years of T2k-inspired research on Poland.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-30281494#:~:text=Unlike%20many%20global%20firms%20 Ikea,1943%2C%20selling%20postcards%20and%20pencils .

I wonder of this business relationship was ever exploited by intelligence services, of Sweden, Poland, or a third party. I've got to imagine that some intel agency at least tried.

Maybe this could be useful as an "in" for a foreign intelligence agent PC/NPC in a Polish-based T2k campaign.

As a side note, maybe I can use this info and my wife's IKEA fandom to win her over to T2k now. ;)

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[raketenjagdpanzer]

I'd say that's a little silly, but western intel used to dig through stolen containers of medical waste after major WarPac exercises in East Germany looking for tidbits of information...and apparently it was quite fruitful. So, yeah, I could see it.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Just to increase the interest for Western intelligence, the factory that IKEA set up in Poland was located in the city of Radom, the home city of Poland's national arsenal. A national facility producing weapons for that nation's military would surely hold some interest for foreign intelligence agencies!

It's all very interesting and could make for a good Cold War novel let alone for a PC background story in the Twilight setting.

A great find Raellus!

[Legbreaker]

On a related note....
https://youtu.be/S9WWz95ripA

You're welcome. :D

[pmulcahy11b]

It's like I told Antenna a long time ago, IKEA products were designed by the Swedish Illuminati to induce insanity in the rest of the world, allowing them to take over easily once a critical mass is reached! Be afraid...be very afraid...

[Silent Hunter UK]

Their suppliers in East Germany used political prisoners for labour as well.

[CraigD6er]

So we might see Polish interpretations of Swedish plans? No wonder I could never follow the assembly instructions!

As Raketenjagdpanzer said, medical waste was a target for intelligence gathering. The book Brixmis, by Steve Gibson, explains how British personnel in East Germany would regularly conduct Operation Tomahawk, a nigh-time trawl through the garbage dumps outside Soviet and East German camps. They would collect anything that had value, from training manuals that were reused as TP (in short supply to the WarPac troops based there) to medical waste from casualties returned from Afghanistan. This book, plus Tony Geraghty's similar one, are great reading for a little known aspect of the cold war.

[Raellus]

Maybe RESET is instructions of how to produce and assemble every single IKEA item ever. ;)

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[Legbreaker]

Maybe RESET is instructions of how to produce and assemble every single IKEA item ever. ;)

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WITHOUT having bits left over!

[StainlessSteelCynic]

Now there's a terrifying thought - IKEA as the inheritors of the aftermath!

[rcaf_777]

Sorry not in English

https://ikeamuseum.com/sv/ikea-kataloger/?id=1995

[swaghauler]

It's like I told Antenna a long time ago, IKEA products were designed by the Swedish Illuminati to induce insanity in the rest of the world, allowing them to take over easily once a critical mass is reached! Be afraid...be very afraid...

Going all DARK CONSPIRACY on me are you?

Meanwhile, somewhere out in there in America...

While assembling the dresser/wardrobe you notice unique markings on the sections to be assembled...

To successfully read and understand the markings is a task:[FORMIDABLE(0.25): LANGUAGE Swedish Runic + (the average of INT & EDU)], Success indicates there is some form of rite or ceremony that can be performed using the cabinet.

IF the PC successfully assembles the piece WITHOUT having any parts left over, the GM MUST immediately roll OVER the EMPATHY Rating of every PC who is in contact with the piece. Anyone rolling under their Empathic Strength score is immediately sucked through a dimensional portal to a Fey Protodimension designed to test the Empath's strengths and weaknesses.
Any PC with the FOREBODING ability gets to roll to sense the danger.

Dave and Carl are placing the last door on Carl's new Wardrobe from IKEA. Dave feels a sudden cold chill as images flash through his mind! "Finished," Carl says as he starts to open the newly hung door. Dave screams, "CARL! DON'T OPEN TH..." There is a loud roar and a flash and Carl is gone with just a hint of ozone left. "HOLY SH*T! DAMMIT CARL!" Dave screams helplessly.


I bet you're all glad you have that little box with all leftover IKEA parts in it now, aren't you?

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I bet you're all glad you have that little box with all leftover IKEA parts in it now, aren't you?
:eek:


:D

[Jason Weiser]

Nice to know I am not the only one who thinks Ikea furniture is the devil's bargain! :D That said, during COVID, their quality and customer service is making Walmart look good.

I have had a friend who's been going through hell trying to get one of their lighted display cases for his miniatures. Finally gets one, has it delivered. He's putting it together...The glass shelf explodes in his wife's hand. Yes, explodes.

I won't even talk about what we went through trying to find all the parts for our new dressers and desk units around here. At one point, there was serious discussion between the wife and I of taking a road trip to Manhattan...Kansas to get the requisite parts.

So, in a bit of T2K related thoughts? Just how well would Ikea handle the conventional phase of the Twilight War. I suspect no better than they are now.

[Antenna]

It's like I told Antenna a long time ago, IKEA products were designed by the Swedish Illuminati to induce insanity in the rest of the world, allowing them to take over easily once a critical mass is reached! Be afraid...be very afraid...

you all gona be asimilated bwahahahha :D

Antenna (back in buisness)

[StainlessSteelCynic]

you all gona be asimilated bwahahahha :D

Antenna (back in buisness)

Uh oh! We have awakened Borg-KEA.
Now I understand why Borg Cubes are shaped the way they are, they couldn't understand the IKEA instructions either!

[Raellus]

Antenna (back in buisness)

Welcome back, Antenna! There's been quite a bit of discussion about Sweden here lately.

https://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=5513&highlight=sweden

https://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=6229&highlight=sweden

https://forum.juhlin.com/showthread.php?t=6040&highlight=sweden

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