During the author meeting, Andrzej Olejniczak outlined the research methods used by historians and discussed the difficulties he had to overcome while creating the publication. An additional attraction was a presentation of the uniform and equipment of a soldier from the Napoleonic period.
The event was attended by members of historical reenactment groups from Krotoszyce and Złotoryja, who appeared in replicas of Napoleonic-era clothing: Agnieszka Młyńczak (the clothing of a townswoman from around 1807), Cezary Skała (wearing the uniform of the 3rd Foreign Regiment – the Irish Legion), Józef Cieśla (wearing the uniform of an artillery officer of the Duchy of Warsaw), and Andrzej Kozyra (wearing the uniform of a Chevau-léger of the Imperial Guard).
“Andrzej Olejniczak spoke about the Napoleonic era with extraordinary passion,” said Anna Bober-Tubaj, director of the Museum. “His lecture was full of interesting facts. We watched with great interest as he took various items from the soldier’s backpack he presented during his author evening. The listeners gathered in the room guessed the purpose of the various accessories. We learned that soldiers in that period had three shoes (two for walking and a third as a spare). There were no right and left shoes; a soldier had to shape the shoe to his own foot. This resulted in numerous wounds and abrasions on the feet. The ladies were interested in the soldiers’ trousers and the way they were fastened and unfastened…” the director added.
The book “The Grande Armée in Lower Silesia in 1813” can be purchased at the Museum of Ceramics.
(information: Museum of Ceramics/Grażyna Hanaf)