According to it, a blacksmith once lived in this magnificent town. He was a hardworking man, but also secretive and not liked by everyone. One day, a young boy came to his forge and asked to be taken on as an apprentice. The blacksmith was not pleased with the request. He liked working alone and had no desire to teach anyone his craft. The young man, however, kept asking and insisting. Eventually, the blacksmith gave in and took him on. It turned out that the young apprentice was quick to learn and hardworking. Work seemed to fly from his hands. Day by day, the blacksmith became increasingly lazy. He knew he could make use of the boy, while he himself spent his time indulging in drunken revelry at a nearby inn.
One day, as the sun was already sinking toward the horizon, a mysterious customer arrived at the forge. He was a man in a jet-black cape, with hair as black as coal and a black hat bearing a red feather. The gentleman ordered a gate for a family tomb from the blacksmith. The order was unusual because the blacksmith had to finish it by midnight on the third day. The greedy craftsman, tempted by the generous payment, declared that he pledged his body and soul to completing the agreed work on time. The mysterious customer therefore promised to pay four times as much.
The blacksmith collected the advance and hurried to the inn, where he drank and caroused for two days. When he awoke on the third day with a terrible headache, he noticed that his assistant had disappeared and that the gate was unfinished. Only one small element was missing. He decided to finish it himself. After all, it was nothing difficult for such an experienced craftsman. He began forging the missing part, but under the blacksmith’s hammer the heated iron kept cracking. Something went wrong every time. Midnight was approaching relentlessly, yet forging the final element of the gate proved impossible. The blacksmith already knew that evil forces were entangled in this terrible story. When twelve o’clock struck, the ground beneath the forge collapsed, burying the blacksmith for eternity.
To this day, the clatter of a blacksmith’s hammer can still be heard in the Upper Market Square in Görlitz. It is our blacksmith trying to forge the final element of the strange gate.
This Upper Lusatian legend is just one of many that still circulate in our region.
Bolesławiec, too, is known for many interesting legends. One of them is the legend of the daughter of the mayor of Bolesławiec. It concerns the period of the Hussite Wars. Mayor Ulbrich Reiner, a wonderful man and a good steward of the town, had a beautiful daughter. He was proud of her and delighted to have such a wonderful child. His peace, however, was disturbed when the Hussites arrived at the town gates. The town found itself in danger.
The cruel Hussites besieged the town, intending to conquer it, utterly destroy it and plunder it. The town council, together with the mayor, decided to make peace with the invaders—to pay them a ransom and thus avert the danger. However, the Hussite commander demanded an unusual payment in exchange for peace and the salvation of Bolesławiec. During the councillors’ deliberations, he noticed a beautiful girl, the daughter of the mayor of Bolesławiec. He liked the girl so much that he desired to have her.
At first, the proposal was unacceptable. However, the girl understood that it was the only way to save the town and its inhabitants. She went to the Hussite camp with a plan. There, she revealed a secret to the commander. She told him about an enchanted ointment that protected its wearer from a sword blow. The commander was extremely interested in the news, although he was somewhat doubtful of the girl. To prove that she was telling the truth, she rubbed the miraculous ointment on her neck and asked him to strike her there with his sword. The commander struck the girl, and she died from the fatal blow. The mayor’s daughter had outwitted him. On the one hand, she had preserved her dignity, and on the other, she had saved the town. The Hussite commander could not attack Bolesławiec because he had given his word. In anger, he merely burned one church. After this incident, the Hussite band left the area around Bolesławiec1.
Bolesławiec has always had steadfast and courageous inhabitants throughout its history. It was also fortunate to have mayors who cared for the town. One of them was Johann Bleihahn, who was commemorated with a statue of a golden rooster.
A certain legend is connected with the rooster. When brigands were staying at Grodziec Castle at the beginning of the 13th century, Bolesławiec found itself in great danger. Although it was protected by defensive walls and the inhabitants kept watch day and night, there was a real threat of attack. Sadly, that is exactly what happened. One day, 64 robbers made their way into the town. Disguised as merchants and peasants, they passed through the town gates. From that moment on, regular raids and thefts began. The terrorised inhabitants nevertheless decided to resist the criminals. The mayor led Bolesławiec’s levy. Together with a group of around 200 residents, he defeated the band of brigands. Twelve robbers were captured and hanged, while the rest died in the fighting. The hanged men were buried in unconsecrated ground beneath the gallows.
To commemorate the courage and resourcefulness shown by Mayor Bleihahn, a column topped with a gilded lead rooster was erected in the Market Square as a symbol of vigilance. It also alluded to the mayor’s surname, because das Blei means lead, while der Hahn means rooster2. Unfortunately, the column has not survived to our times. It was destroyed during the Hussite Wars.
The legends presented above are not only colourful stories, but also valuable sources of information about the times to which they relate. The rich history of Bolesławiec and its surroundings is reflected in legends and tales created and passed down from generation to generation. It is worth remembering and recalling them. They are also part of our local history.
Paweł Skiersinis
The author is a blogger and history enthusiast, particularly interested in the history of Lower Silesia and Poland. Why Lower Silesia? As he puts it: “Why not? The most interesting history is the history around us, concerning ourselves and our ancestors.”
He adds: “I try to present history from a different perspective, in an interesting way—not in the typically textbook style, full of dry dates and facts. My articles concern facts that we will not find in textbooks and well-known publications. The history of Lower Silesia is undoubtedly interesting and fascinating, so it is worth devoting at least a brief moment to it from time to time.”
1 K. Dudek, Bolesławiec Painted in Words and Images, Gdynia 2012, pp. 92–93.
2 Ibidem, pp. 91–92.