Officials in Bolesławiec came up with the idea of buying sash pins after seeing similar ones on councillors in Wrocław. “At the city hall there, councillors have had their sashes fastened with pins for two terms of office,” explains Mariusz Herba, head of the organisational and administrative department at the Bolesławiec municipal office. The money for purchasing the pins was included in the municipal budget for 2008. As Herba admits, even then—when the budget was being prepared—it was expected that St. Maria de Mattias would be declared the patron saint of our city. They wanted the councillors to look more ceremonial during such an important ceremony.
The city ordered the pins from the same manufacturer that made them for the councillors of Wrocław. The 23 silver ornaments—one for each councillor plus two spares—cost PLN 3,910. “They are well made and will last for many terms of office,” stresses Mariusz Herba.
In a conversation with us, the head of the department noted that officials had considered cheaper brass pins. However, as the ornament maker argued, the cost of the material itself would have been only slightly lower. The effect would also have been worse—such pins would tarnish after some time. Practical considerations therefore determined the choice.
(GA/KG report)