Until recently, Bolesławiec has had a street named after "Marcin Optiz", who was a poet, secretary and courtier of the Polish King Władysław IV. The residents of this street, and not only they, ask me in the street, knowing that I have lived in our town since 1945 and write for "Glos Bolesławca"—why do we call such a well-known figure by his German-sounding name rather than his Polish one? I cannot answer ... but I admit they are right that the street should be called "Marcin...", but not Optiz; rather ... well, that is precisely the question!
1. I have before me the so-called booklet "Bolesławiec and the Surrounding Area", published in Wrocław in 1973 (price ... 2 złoty!). In the Polish version of the booklet, on page 3, we read about Marcin Opic (with "Opeć" in the first case). In the German-language version of the booklet, he is called Marcin Optiz ...
2. Let us turn to the extensive German publication, issued in its third (yes!) edition by the German "homeland association" of Bolesławiec residents in 1985, in Siegburg (West Germany). I wrote a few words about this publication last summer. On page 211 we read that the ancestor of the poet "Marcin Optiz" was Piotr Opecz, who held the office of mayor of Bolesławiec in 1390. Over time, this family adopted the surname "Optiz" ... Because "Opecz" did not sound German; it was too harsh.
3. On page 233 of this book there is a photocopy of a volume of our hero's poetry, published by Dawid Muller without a date. Here, the author of the poetry appears as "Martin Opiczen"!
P.S. In the small square surrounding the walls of the old town stood an obelisk with a bust of Marcin Optiz, destroyed by us in 1945 ...