This anniversary could not be forgotten, regardless of differences in views, political affiliation or the extent of one’s historical knowledge.
The mass participation of the residents of the town on the Bóbr in carrying out the established programme testified to the interest in and need for commemorating the 50th anniversary of the RETURN OF THE BOLESŁAWIEC LANDS TO THE MOTHERLAND.
There was a solemn and lofty appeal in memory of the fallen, deeply patriotic and moving. Bouquets of flowers were laid on the graves of those who have passed away forever, to whom we owe our remembrance. The joint solemn session of the Municipal Council and the Bolesławiec Commune Council brought together not only councillors, but also the most representative part of the local community, with a special place for veterans of struggle and work, as well as young people. It was also a significant step towards integrating the local community with a view to the future county. The speeches by Deputy Chair of the Municipal Council Dr EDMUND MALIŃSKI, Mayor JÓZEF KRÓL, Commune Head KAZIMIERZ GAWRON and President of the Union of Combatants Col. (ret.) WŁODZIMIERZ KOWALSKI contained a wealth of historical content and knowledge about the present day. We will publish them in a supplement to the next issue of “Głos Bolesławca”, together with the sermon by Monsignor WŁADYSŁAW RĄCZKA, delivered during the solemn Holy Mass at the Parish Church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Perpetual Help. Perhaps this final history lesson was the most beautiful and valuable element, because it was shaped in a deeply human and patriotic dimension, referring to the most fundamental and universal values. Only a priest of great stature can address the faithful in such a moving and personal way. The historic, centuries-old church was not lacking in colour parties, a military ceremony with an orchestra, or that unique atmosphere which accompanied the first Poles settling in Bolesławiec in the memorable year 1945.
We do not list the names of the numerous guests and representatives of the authorities, because they were not the heroes of the Bolesławiec celebrations and are featured every day in the headlines of newspapers, on the radio and on television. Half a century after the war, it was above all people of the generation that fought and worked for this city and for their homeland who met one another: seniors with furrowed brows and gnarled, work-worn hands, with which they cleared Bolesławiec of rubble brick by brick and house by house, carrying a wealth of memories and unbelievably rich biographies—true sagas of newcomers from the Eastern Borderlands, Yugoslavia, France and all over Europe. People with the imprint of war deeply embedded in their consciousness, the most patriotic generation of their fellow countrymen, now passing away—the last living chroniclers of turbulent and tragic times...
One had to listen to their colourful, genuine and deeply personal stories at the GENERATIONS’ MEETING held at the “Pegaz” Club to understand the meaning of the social initiative owed above all to Municipal Council Chair WŁADYSŁAW LANDSBERG. Among those present was EUGENIA LENICKA, born in Bolesławiec in 1944 and now a resident of Moldova (the daughter of a prisoner of the labour camp on Ciesielska Street). A young secondary-school student aptly and beautifully summed up the long evening of memories: “You have enormous hearts, and they beat very strongly. We will love this city.” The moved president of the Union of Veterans warmly kissed the speaker. Let critics of the work remember this fact: like the entire city and region, it is the common achievement of the local community, a shared good and a passport to history. This manifestation of patriotism and Polish identity is an authentic need and a sign of the times: if we forget our own roots, lineage and achievements, if we isolate ourselves from our national history through academic discussions about the liberation or capture of the city, its occupation or takeover by the Polish administration, its return to the Motherland or its seizure from the Germans—we will lose our own identity in sterile disputes. Let us leave disputes over historical details to professional historians. Let us avoid quarrels and splitting hairs by fledgling “experts” fond of rhetorical phrases and empty definitions, at least while the heroes of those events are still alive. Let us respect their accounts, honour their achievements and listen attentively to their voices, which today are growing ever weaker.
Our city paid tribute to history in a dignified and beautiful manner. The people of great heart and imagination, veterans and pioneers, the military, priests, and the councillors of the city and commune deserve our thanks. It was an unforgettable lesson in Polish identity, patriotism, integration within the local-government community and the painstaking building of our “small homeland”—just as in those, incomparably more difficult, years half a century ago.
And one final observation. The taxpayer did not contribute a single penny to the anniversary celebrations. All the costs—which, incidentally, were not particularly high—were covered by sponsors.