The competition, held under the honorary patronage of Mayor Piotr Roman, took place as part of celebrations marking five centuries of water supply and sewage systems in Bolesławiec. The competition was linked to this year’s European Heritage Days, “Heritage as a Source of Identity,” dedicated this year to the links between culture, history and water (water sources are key factors in the history of settlement).
121 entries and four tablets as prizes for young residents of Bolesławiec
Children and young people from six Bolesławiec schools took part in the competition, including: Primary School No. 1 (supervisors: Magdalena Czyżewska, Joanna Kawka, Irena Bartosz), Primary School No. 2 (supervisors: Jolanta Borysiuk, Joanna Sołkiewicz), Primary School No. 3 (supervisor: Barbara Dąbrowska-Bugaj), Primary School No. 4 (supervisors: Agnieszka Furdyna, Beata Dubas, Lucyna Cichewicz, Andżelika Kraśnicka), Primary School No. 5 (supervisor: Dorota Dobies) and Municipal Middle School No. 2 (supervisor: Agnieszka Goszkowicz).
The competition received 121 entries, of which the jury (Stanisława Wojda-Pytlińska, Magdalena Konieczna and Grażyna Hanaf) selected 23 for an exhibition, while eight entries received awards. The winners received tablets, MP3 players, board games and painting supplies.
Awards were presented in three age categories. The three first-place entries were by: Daria Chłopicka (Municipal Middle School No. 2), Julia Klementowska (Primary School No. 4) and Pola Dorosz (Primary School No. 5). Second place went to: Jerzy Wroczyński (Municipal Middle School No. 2), Natalia Psiuch (Primary School No. 4) and Olga Mazur (Primary School No. 1). Third place went to: Amelia Modzelewska (Primary School No. 4) and Oliwia Gorczyca (Primary School No. 3).
The prizes were presented to the winners by Mayor Piotr Roman and PWiK company president Józef Król. Piotr Roman thanked all participants for their work and commitment. He stressed the importance of organizing such competitions. “It is important and interesting for us to see how you view your city and how you can capture its beauty and potential,” the mayor said.
We want to do more – competitions and environmental education organized by PWiK
President Józef Król recalled that this was another competition for young residents of Bolesławiec organized by the company. Last year, the “Good Water in Bolesławiec” competition was held, while for third-graders from primary schools in Bolesławiec and the municipalities, the educational campaign “Water, the Source of Life, or PWiK Talks to You About Water, Wastewater and Green Energy” has been organized for years.
Last year’s “Good Water in Bolesławiec” competition was intended to remind city and municipality residents of how good their water is. Its aim was also to inspire young people’s creativity and encourage them to describe the advantages of the place where they live. More than 100 students from 17 schools in the rural and urban municipalities entered the competition in two stages. Valuable prizes—tablets and albums—were co-financed by the Wrocław Voivodeship Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management.
In 2013, around 350 third-graders from six Bolesławiec primary schools took part in the environmental education campaign “Water, the Source of Life, or PWiK Talks to You About Water, Wastewater and Green Energy.” The students attended a presentation delivered by President Józef Król. A multimedia presentation was prepared for them, and various experiments with water and wastewater were conducted. This year, the same campaign is being held for children from schools in Bolesławiec Municipality.
Lecture by Anna Bober-Tubaj
At the award ceremony for the latest competition, participants and invited guests listened to a lecture by Anna Bober-Tubaj, who described the history of Bolesławiec’s water supply system in an engaging way. Information about Bolesławiec’s living water source already appears in the Holstein chronicle, the oldest chronicle of Bolesławiec. The source was described there in great detail. In 1538, the Bolesławiec chronicle mentioned Emperor Frederick I, who scooped water from the source with his hand and said that it was refreshing. Water drawn from the source was believed to have miraculous properties, which led to numerous pilgrimages from Saxony and Silesia. The source supplied the city with water, which was distributed through a water supply system. The sewage system connected with it formed the basis of an irrigation system for gardens and fields—the second in Europe after Gouda in the Netherlands.
Legends claimed that the water, which served people and animals, brought health, prosperity and even marital fidelity. Some people also believed that it brought eternal life. Thanks to this water, Bolesławiec beer also enjoyed an exceptional reputation.
The history of Bolesławiec’s sewage system is commemorated by a memorial stone with a plaque and engraved dates. It stands in the square on Bankowa Street, next to Primary School No. 2. The monument was thoroughly renovated by PWiK, which cares about the tradition and quality of Bolesławiec’s water.
(information: ii)