IN THE PAST
The town’s foundation and acquisition of municipal rights created favorable conditions for the development of Bolesławiec. This development depended largely on privileges granted by the duke (Bolesławiec belonged to the Duchy of Świdnica-Jawor), as well as on the resourcefulness and foresight of the Municipal Council.
Most of the issues to which the Municipal Council devoted its time were economic issues: efforts to secure funds for the municipal treasury. In 1298, a border customs station was opened in Bolesławiec, with customs duties flowing into the municipal treasury. In 1311, the Municipal Council issued a document regulating the length of a bolt of cloth (34 ells), but apparently dishonest merchants cheated customers during sales, because in 1319 we find a record of the Municipal Council adopting an obligation to mark municipal measures and weights, and appointing a master of measures to carry out inspections.
The accumulated funds enabled Bolesławiec to buy the vogt’s office in 1326, and Mikołaj Broda became mayor (he held this position until 1340).
An important economic event was the granting of the privilege of salt markets to the town in 1327, which placed Bolesłwiec among the leading Silesian towns in the salt trade and brought significant economic benefits.
In 1353, the town possessed its own municipal seal, which was an important factor in enhancing the town’s status. The Municipal Council sought new economic privileges.
In 1356, Bolko II of Świdnica granted the town the privilege of operating a wine house (located in the town hall) and of opening merchant stalls selling cloth and linen. The town’s transition to Czech rule led the rulers of Bohemia to grant numerous privileges to Silesian towns, with the aim of winning their favor. In 1422, Sigismund of Luxembourg granted the town the privilege of brewing beer. From that time, beer became a significant source of income and gained a high reputation in Silesia. In 1469, the town bought its way out with beer from the besieging army. Similarly, in 1438 King Albert II confirmed all the municipal privileges the town had previously received, including salt markets, free fishing, the use of a seal, and a free road to Lusatia and Wrocław. The Municipal Council also coordinated trade in the town by setting trading hours, especially for everyday goods. In 1455, it set trading hours for butchers and bakers.
The development of crafts in the town was also coordinated by the Municipal Council and the craft guilds.
In 1473, a reformation rule was introduced for apprentices wishing to qualify as journeymen. The certificate entered in the town books was to confirm the candidate’s religious background, the honesty and diligence of the parents, and legitimate birth. The Municipal Council also took care to maintain various forms of production according to need. In 1488, the Municipal Council granted special rights to beekeepers (establishing hives and apiaries) in order to increase the production of honey and wax, and also established regulations in this area for hunters and fishermen to increase the quantity of fish and game available on the market. A serious problem for the Municipal Council at the beginning of the 16th century was its disputes with the castle, which ultimately ended in the Municipal Council’s success in 1504.
Władysław II granted the town the following privileges: annual elections of the Municipal Council without the need for approval by the king or governor, the right to hold two fairs a year, and the right to use red wax to seal documents. This was significant in enhancing the status of the municipal court, which could now summon before the court people belonging to the urban elite. The court imposed harsher sentences, as confirmed by a record from 1507.