On the day of the church feast of Epiphany, several dozen members of the Association of Veterans of the Republic of Poland and Former Political Prisoners of the Municipal Circle in Bolesławiec shared the traditional Christmas wafer.
A moving evening of reminiscences and soldiers’ carols was prepared by reserve colonel WŁODZIMIERZ KOWALSKI. Among the honorary guests were Municipal Council Chairman WŁADYSŁAW LANDSBERG, Deputy Mayors JAN JASIUKIEWICZ and WŁADYSŁAW ZUZIAK, City Board member PAWEŁ ŚLIWKO, the popular chaplain in the veterans’ community, Dean Father WŁADYSŁAW RĄCZKA, and the commander of the local Polish Army garrison, Colonel CHOJNICKI.
The atmosphere of the gathering was shaped by moving, often highly personal soldiers’ reminiscences, which conveyed the full tragedy of the generation that fought for national dignity and a free Poland on all fronts of the Second World War. A wonderful interlude, complement, and enhancement to the evening of reminiscences were solo performances of carols and soldiers’ songs by WŁADYSŁAW CAL, who in the final months of the war and after liberation was a member of the Polish Army’s representative choir and still possesses a wonderful, pure, powerful voice. A true vocal talent. It is a pity that local television did not record this important and beautiful event, something the participants of the Christmas wafer ceremony quietly regretted.