The gathered audience was welcomed by the association’s secretary, Tekla Muszyńska. On behalf of the city authorities, Kornel Filipowicz, Deputy Mayor of Bolesławiec, spoke, emphasizing how important it is for the residents of Bolesławiec to preserve the memory of where we come from.
Mr. Tadeusz Jurkowski – a retired history teacher and, from 1974 to 1985, Director of the Preschool Education College (now II LO) – is the author of the first master’s thesis on the “Settlement of Poles from Yugoslavia in Bolesławiec County.” The thesis was written in the 1960s. It was defended in 1970 at the Higher School of Education in Opole.
During the event, Tadeusz Jurkowski introduced those present to the history of reemigrants from the countries of former Yugoslavia. He spoke about the political circumstances that caused Polish settlers to leave for the Balkans “in search of bread” in the 19th century, as well as the factors that influenced their return after World War II. We also followed with great interest the story of how Mr. Tadeusz gathered information and wrote the master’s thesis itself.
During a break in the meeting, association members prepared refreshments, followed by a screening of the film “Gucha! – Playing the Trumpet”. The film told the story of the world’s largest festival – a marathon of brass bands – and was produced by Balkan director Emir Kusturica.
The project “Saving from Oblivion – 70 Years Since the Return of Poles from Bosnia” is co-financed by the Municipality of Bolesławiec through a call for proposals supporting the implementation of public tasks by non-governmental organizations and other entities authorized to conduct activities in the public-benefit sphere in 2016. Four more meetings are planned as part of the project.
On Thursday, June 16, there will be a meeting with Tomasz Jacek Lis from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, the author of numerous publications on the historiography of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In autumn, meetings will be held with Anna Bober-Tubaj, Director of the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec, and Marek Szajda – a student of the full-time doctoral program in historical sciences at the University of Wrocław, scholarship holder of the Minister of Science and Higher Education and the Wrocław City Office, and author of a dozen or so academic articles on modern Polish history, particularly the history of Lower Silesia. All meetings will take place at CIK ‘Orzeł’ BOK-MCC, an institution supporting the Association’s activities.
