Krystyna Gay-Kutschenreiter – a recognized artist specializing in unique ceramics and ceramic sculpture. A graduate of the Faculty of Art at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń and the Faculty of Ceramics at the Academy of Fine Arts in Wrocław. A member of the Association of Polish Art Workers. Her work has been presented at numerous solo and group exhibitions in Poland and abroad. She has repeatedly participated in art plein-air workshops, and her works are held in museum and private collections in Poland and abroad. From 1990 to 2005, she served as artistic commissioner of the National Ceramic and Sculpture Plein-Air Workshops in Bolesławiec, which on her initiative were transformed in 1996 into the International Ceramic and Sculpture Plein-Air Workshops, attended by artists from 29 countries around the world. The change in the workshops’ format also intensified exhibition activity, with more than 50 post-workshop exhibitions organized in Poland and abroad. During the 40th- and 50th-anniversary celebrations of the Ceramic and Sculpture Plein-Air Workshops, Krystyna Gay-Kutschenreiter also served as curator and chief coordinator of these initiatives. In 2016, the City Council granted her the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Bolesławiec, and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage awarded her the Bronze Medal of Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis
Bolesławiec Amazons Club – celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2016, the Bolesławiec Amazons Club serves all people suffering from oncological diseases in the city and county, regardless of sex or type of illness. Led by Władysława Kotlarek, the club provides physical and psychological rehabilitation and organizes early breast-cancer detection campaigns in schools. Every September it organizes Bolesławiec Cancer-Fighting Day, and it also holds social gatherings and sports competitions. Christmas Eve and St. Andrew’s Eve are celebrated together; rehabilitation stays and training sessions are also organized. Every year, the Amazons take part in a pilgrimage to Jasna Góra and solemnly celebrate the feast day of St. Agatha, their patron saint. Thanks to their enterprise, rehabilitation equipment was purchased and rooms were secured for club meetings. The anniversary gala showed how many communities the Bolesławiec Amazons can bring together. Despite their own worries and responsibilities, they are active, creative women radiating optimism and joy in life, supporting one another and helping others
Bolesławiec District of the Polish Scouting and Guiding Association named after the Gray Ranks – in 2016, the Bolesławiec ZHP district celebrated its 70th anniversary. In 1946, assistant scoutmaster and troop leader Hubert Bonin organized a male scout troop, the famous Bolesławiec “number one,” which he led in accordance with the traditions of pre-war scouting. Over seven decades, thousands of people passed through the district’s ranks, working in more or less formal structures. Today, the Bolesławiec district comprises four troop associations (“Avalanche,” “Hubal,” “Kwisa Valley” and the Water Troop Association) and two independent units, together bringing together around 340 scouts of various ages. The scouts operate in the city and throughout the county. Every year they leave for summer camps and winter camps. Larger events, such as the Spring Rally, St. Nicholas Rally, Ferdinand Rally and District Rally, are organized approximately once a month. The troops hold traditional meetings in scout halls, go on independent camps, and meet scouts from other cities and countries. The troops also support veterans’ communities, especially former soldiers of the Home Army, and undertake social initiatives, such as installing a steel symbol of Fighting Poland on the defensive walls and similar symbols on the graves of AK veterans buried in our city, as well as organizing the National Day of Remembrance of the Warsaw Uprising and the National Day of Remembrance of the “Cursed Soldiers.” The district is currently commanded by scoutmaster Joanna Sawicka, while scoutmaster Zdzisław Abramowicz serves as deputy commander; they emphasize that none of their activities would be possible without the genuine, selfless commitment of instructors and friends of scouting
“Bolesławiec” Municipal Wind Orchestra – actively participates in all significant ceremonies and events in the city and region. Every municipal celebration in Bolesławiec takes place with its participation. Since 1997, the orchestra’s conductor has been Jan Chojnacki. The “Bolesławiec” Municipal Wind Orchestra has its own repertoire. During state ceremonies, the musicians play a generals’ march and patriotic songs, while at city events such as the Bolesławiec Ceramic Festival they perform popular music. The orchestra participated in many initiatives organized by the Association of Re-emigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends. These included, above all, a ceremonial roll call and service in Rakovac attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to Bosnia and Herzegovina, a mass and concert in Sarajevo, concerts in Prnjavor marking the 40th anniversary of the signing of the cooperation agreement with Bolesławiec and the 70th anniversary of the return of Poles from Bosnia
The editorial team of the “Bolesławiec Yearbook,” comprising Edmund Maliński, Anna Bober-Tubaj and Grzegorz Matoryn. The Bolesławiec Yearbook is a publication describing the city’s recent history and various aspects of its social and economic life after 1945. The “Yearbook...” presents texts resulting from research into Bolesławiec’s history, articles on local topics, residents’ recollections, interviews with well-known creators, biographies of deceased Bolesławiec residents, and reviews of publications written by Bolesławiec residents or concerning local topics. A substantial part of the publication is a chronicle containing brief information about the most important sporting, cultural, political and economic events that took place in a given year in the city and Bolesławiec County. Since 2011, the publication’s reviewer has been Professor Grzegorz Strauchold. From 2008 to 2015, eight editions of the “Bolesławiec Yearbook” were published, containing a total of more than 1,400 pages, 228 articles, 49 reviews and eight extensive annual chronicles. The editorial team of the “Yearbook...” coordinated the substantive and logistical work of 130 people involved in publishing the periodical. Today, the Bolesławiec Yearbook is one of the important sources of information mainly concerning Bolesławiec’s post-war Polish history
Design and Construction of Green Areas Dorota Kluczyńska and Jarosław Oleś Horticultural and Nursery Farm. The businesses run by Dorota Kluczyńska and Jarosław Oleś began operating in 2000 under the name Garden Design and Establishment. Over several years of development, the scope of their activity expanded. Their current offer includes comprehensive services in the design, supervision, consultancy, construction, restoration and maintenance of green areas. The entrepreneurs’ many years of experience have been put to excellent use in designing and maintaining urban greenery in Bolesławiec. Modern solutions in urban landscape architecture have changed the face of our city and earned recognition from residents and tourists. Examples include installing an aeration system for the water in the city pond on Bankowa Street, supplementing plantings in the municipal parks and in the courtyards behind the market square in Bolesławiec, planting greenery on I. Łukasiewicza and K. Miarki streets, and preparing a redevelopment design for the amphitheater in Municipal Park on Tyrankiewiczów Street.
SCIENCE
Mateusz Cygan – a student at Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 4 in Bolesławiec who in 2016 was the only student from Bolesławiec to become a laureate in two subjects—history and Polish—in the zDolny Ślązak Gimnazjalista Superintendent’s Competition. He was also named a laureate in the literary competition “Talk to Grandma, Ask Grandpa.” Mateusz’s work, “From Barysz to Uniejowice,” was among the five most interesting pieces illustrating the history of Lower Silesians after World War II. The jury selected 20 works, which were published as a collection of competition stories entitled “Talk to Grandma, Talk to Grandpa.” This exceptional book, full of moving and dramatic events and experiences, opens with Mateusz Cygan’s story
Izabela Kulpa and Teresa Prokowska – teachers at Municipal School Complex No. 2 in Bolesławiec who jointly developed and carried out the international project “Is this castle haunted? – Czy w tym zamku straszy?”. The project won first place in Europe in the “eTwinning Awards 2016” competition in the 12–15 age category. Both women attended the awards ceremony during the annual eTwinning conference in Athens. In the nationwide competition, the project took third place in the most difficult and simultaneously most prestigious master-ambassador category. An earlier joint project by the two teachers, entitled “A Night in the Library,” took first place in Poland in the “My eTwinning Project” competition. Both projects received National and European Quality Labels
Municipal Public Kindergarten No. 7 with integrated classes – conducts activities aimed at promoting the kindergarten in the local community and beyond the borders of Bolesławiec. Particular emphasis should be placed on its multifaceted efforts to obtain external funding. In 2016, the kindergarten carried out the project “Autism – Help Understand the World,” whose aims included acquiring new professional skills for working with autistic children, learning innovative organizational and methodological solutions for working with autistic children, and providing support to parents of children with special educational needs. Together with Czech kindergartens, it began implementing the project “Art Therapy as the Key to Successful Integration,” whose aim is to integrate healthy preschool children with children with developmental disabilities and to integrate Polish and Czech teachers through joint development of professional skills.
SOCIAL AFFAIRS
Władysława Kotlarek – has been president of the Bolesławiec Amazons Club since 2009. She actively works for people with oncological diseases and initiates numerous socializing, activating and health-promoting initiatives in Bolesławiec city and county. She organizes rehabilitation and psychological assistance for women after mastectomy, educational meetings as part of breast-cancer prevention, and works for equal rights for people with various disabilities. Every year she organizes celebrations of St. Agatha, the Amazons’ patron saint, and Bolesławiec Cancer-Fighting Day. In 2016, she was exceptionally active in organizing the 20th-anniversary celebrations of the Bolesławiec Amazons Club. Her work in many fields is recognized by organizations and institutions at various levels and with various areas of responsibility. In 2016, Władysława Kotlarek received three significant distinctions: in June she was honored by the Federation of Amazons Associations with the “Ruby Amazon Bow” for her work on behalf of the club and the local community of women affected by breast cancer; in September, the Chapter of the Krystyna Bochenek Lady D. Competition recognized Władysława Kotlarek as a disabled person actively involved in social work; and in December she took third place in the “Personality” category of the “Women’s Faces” Business Poll
Association of Re-emigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends – an energetic organization operating since 2011. One of the association’s statutory aims is to promote Bolesławiec County, the city of Bolesławiec and the municipalities that cultivate South Slavic traditions. In 2016, the association worked to disseminate and protect culture by presenting Bolesławiec’s cultural and culinary traditions. Its activities were based mainly on prepared and implemented projects that received funding, and every event featured music by the Association’s Choir: the project “70 Years Since the Return of Poles from Bosnia – Strengthening the Cultural Identity of the Polish Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” under which Tomasz Jacek Lis’s book “From Bosnia to Poland” was created and a conference entitled “Poles on Bosnian Soil – 70 Years After Their Departure” was organized in Prnjavor; “Balkan Culture Festival – 16th Edition / Re-emigrant Settlement”; and “Save from Oblivion – 70 Years Since the Return of Poles from Bosnia,” a series of open meetings thematically related to the anniversary falling in 2016. In 2016, the association also promoted the city’s cultural and culinary traditions during numerous events organized throughout the Lower Silesia region
Guild of Various Crafts and Small Entrepreneurship in Bolesławiec – celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016. The organization brings together a broad group of craftspeople, entrepreneurs and merchants operating in the city and Bolesławiec County; it currently comprises 150 businesses. The guild supports local companies by organizing free training and providing consultancy, and promotes Bolesławiec entrepreneurs and the city of Bolesławiec nationally and internationally. With the guild’s assistance, Bolesławiec craftspeople participate in conferences in Poland and abroad, as well as fairs and exhibitions. They also take part in competitions and festivals, frequently receiving awards and distinctions. The guild also supports vocational education in Bolesławiec, helps craftspeople train students, oversees the education of young workers and supervises the training process. Throughout its existence, the Bolesławiec Guild has cared not only about professional matters but has also actively operated as a social organization supporting cultural and sporting activities.
CULTURE
Przemysław Kania – an exceptionally talented filmmaker. His films are screened at many nationwide festivals, where they are always appreciated for the values he seeks to convey to the younger generation. He has won numerous awards and distinctions, including for the film “Cursed Soldiers. Antoni Stachura,” which took first place in the fifth edition of the nationwide competition “Cursed Soldiers – Unbroken Heroes.” According to the jury, it was the best film in all editions of the competition. The film “To Be,” about the life of Maria Niemczuk, a Siberian deportee, took part in the “Young People for History” competition as part of the eighth edition of the “Unbowed, Unbroken, Cursed” Documentary Film Festival. The film took fourth place and received many positive reviews. For the competition “The Baptism of Poland – Facts and Legends,” he made the film “The Baptism of Poland You Don’t Know” together with Cezarym Lewkowiczem, winning first prize. He directed the films “3 Minutes,” “Unfaithful,” “Simply Be,” “Anchor” and “Eagle Owl.” He is one of the initiators and authors of the “Let Us Not Forget” project, in which he and his class recall events important to Poland but forgotten by young people. As part of the second edition of the project, a music video for “Ballad of Janek Wiśniewski” was created. On November 10, 2016, he received the Honorary Siberian Deportee Badge
Michał Szwed – community activist, scout, originator and founder of the Bolesławiec Film School at the Second Private Lower Secondary School named after Capt. Krzysztof Baranowski, instructor at the Film Education Workshop of the Bolesławiec Cultural Center–International Ceramics Center, and producer and co-creator of Regional Television TVT. He works with young people every day, creating short films at the Film Education Workshop at BOK-MCC. Under his supervision, young people have created approximately 40 fiction films addressing important social issues. He has produced more than 100 fiction and documentary films and television programs. He promotes the campaign “BOLESŁAWIEC, SIĘ KRĘCI – Hollywood Starts in Bolesławiec; We Can Make Films Here, Where We Are.” In 2016, together with Michałem Bednarskim, he made the film “Tree of Fire,” which won first place and the Crystal Screen in a competition for local and regional television organized by the Polish Chamber of Electronic Communications. In addition, in 2016 he was executive producer of the Film Chronicle at the Gdynia Film Festival, produced by the Bolesławiec Film School
Sister Magdalena (Maria) Karaban – belongs to the Bolesławiec community of the Congregation of the Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood of Christ. Sister Magdalena actively supports and is involved in preparing the beatification process of murdered priest Antoni Dujlović, a figure especially important to Poles originating from the former Yugoslavia. She works with young people from Bolesławiec on theatrical productions and directed, among others, plays about the life of St. Maria de Mattias and Mother Ludwina Sikora. From 1974 onward, Sister Magdalena began collecting religious exhibits, mainly connected with the Congregation’s activities in various parts of the world. She created and runs the St. Maria de Mattias Museum, a sacred and ethnographic museum. Part of the exhibition is devoted to St. Maria de Mattias, the patron saint of Bolesławiec; many exhibits are mementos of Mother Ludwina Sikora, and information about murdered priest Antoni Dujlović of Gumjera is also displayed. In addition to religious exhibits, Sister Magdalena focused on collecting memorabilia related to settlement in Bolesławiec after 1945, with particular emphasis on settlers from the former Yugoslavia, where she herself comes from
Klaudia Elżbieta Kowalik – a student at the Władysław Broniewski General Secondary School No. 1 in Bolesławiec, with individual and group achievements in artistic work, the dissemination and protection of culture, and science. With the monodrama “The Twenty-First,” she took first place at the provincial stage of the 61st National Recitation Competition and third place in the one-person theater category. She received a distinction at the Small Theaters Festival in Lublin and was a laureate at the “Motyf” Festival in Tychy. She is a two-time national-level laureate of the John Paul II Thought Olympiad. As a volunteer, the student eagerly participated in social initiatives, providing assistance, among others, through the nationwide “Volunteer Corps,” the “Noble Parcel,” “Yes, I Help” and “Heart Adoption” campaigns, school “Caritas” volunteering, and for a hospice in Wrocław
Bolesławiec Film School at the Second Private Lower Secondary School named after Capt. Krzysztof Baranowski – a school where young people can learn the secrets of film and television production. The school’s students have access to a professional studio with an acoustic booth, editing room and screening room. Through cooperation with the Pomeranian Film Foundation, the students actively participate in film festivals in Gdynia and attend numerous workshops and premiere screenings of Polish feature films. At last year’s festival, the school produced the first episode of the chronicle of the 41st Gdynia Film Festival, becoming the only lower secondary school in the festival’s history to do so. In 2016, the school’s productions received distinctions at the nationwide “Wylęgarnia 2016” Youth Film Festival: second place for the film “Awakening,” additional distinctions for cinematographers and editors – Michał Szwed, Marcel Sasiela, Michał Bednarski and Bartłomiej Muszyński – and a special distinction for Michał Szwed for developing young people’s film passions and talents.
SPORT
Sonia Turzyniecka – a highly consistent sports champion. She has practiced arm wrestling for more than a dozen years. Year after year, she wins the highest trophies in the discipline. The past year was exceptionally successful for her: she won, among other titles, the Polish Championship and the World Cup Championship for People with Disabilities. She has won medals nationally and internationally in disability and masters categories. She began 2016 with an outstanding performance at the 16th Polish Championships in Gdańsk, reaching the podium six times at national championships and becoming Polish champion with her left arm and Polish runner-up with her right arm in the disability category. She achieved her greatest success at the 38th World Armwrestling Championships in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, where she won two bronze medals in the +65 kg disability category
Adam Goleński – a 14-year-old student at the Public Piarist Order Lower Secondary School in Bolesławiec whose sport is table tennis. He represents LKS Odra Głoska. Adam Goleński has achieved many successes, the most important being at the Lower Silesian and Polish Championships. In the 2016/2017 season, Adam ranks third in Lower Silesia and 30th in Poland among 670 players registered in the cadet category. The beginning of the season has been very successful for Adam; he qualified for national tournaments twice in a row
Klaudia Petters – in 2016 she burst into the ranks of Poland’s leading female triathletes. Her main achievements include a bronze medal at the National Youth Olympiad in triathlon in Sława, a silver medal at the Polish Aquathlon Championships in Rumia, winning the Polish Triathlon Cup in the junior category, fourth place in the women’s open category, second place in the Czech Cup in Karlovy Vary, and 10th place at the Polish Elite Championships in Susz. Her good performances led to her being called up to the Polish national team. She competed twice in the European Triathlon Championships, in Hungary, where she took 10th place in the semifinal, and in Portugal. She has repeatedly reached the podium in nationwide competitions
Mateusz Tofil – an athlete with the Bolesłavia Inter-School Sports Club. He has trained for four years, specializing in jumps and hurdles. He currently holds first-class sports status and is part of Poland’s national training squad. In 2016, he scored nine points in the Youth Sports System. He competed at the European Championships and took 14th place in the high jump in Tbilisi. He became Polish champion in the high jump at the Polish U18 Championships in Wrocław and the Polish Rural Sports Clubs Championships in Zamość. He became Lower Silesian champion in the high jump and 60-meter hurdles at the Indoor Lower Silesian Championships in Jablonec and in the high jump at the Lower Silesian Championships in Bogatynia. He is a member of the team that competed in the Junior Second League in 2016
Wojciech Karaban – an athlete with the Bolesłavia Inter-School Sports Club. He has trained in athletics for five years, specializing in middle-distance races, particularly steeplechase events. He is currently part of the national training squad. In 2016, he scored 13 points in the Youth Sports System. Wojciech Karaban took third place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Polish Junior Championships in Suwałki, third place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Polish Rural Sports Clubs Championships in Zamość, first place in the 1,500-meter race at the Lower Silesian Junior Championships in Bogatynia, and first place in the 5,000-meter race at the Lower Silesian Junior Cross-Country Championships in Wrocław during the 2016 season. He is a member of the team that competed in the Junior Second League the previous year
Dominika Kwaszcz – an athlete with the Bolesłavia Inter-School Sports Club. Her main athletics events are hurdles and jumps, which she has trained in for six years. She is part of Poland’s national training squad and holds first-class sports status. She achieved significant successes in the 2016 season: she was a finalist at the European Championships in Tbilisi in the long jump, taking 11th place; became Polish champion in the long jump at the Polish Indoor U18 Championships in Spała; became Polish champion in the long jump and 100-meter hurdles at the Polish Rural Sports Clubs Championships in Zamość; became Lower Silesian champion in the long jump at the Indoor Lower Silesian Championships in Jablonec; and took first place in the long jump at the Franz Schuster International Memorial. She is a member of the team that competed in the Junior Second League in 2016
Rafał Bartosz Gruman – has been a coach at the Bolesłavia Inter-School Sports Club for 10 years. Athletes from Rafał Gruman’s group achieved significant successes in 2016: they competed at the European Championships and won championship titles at the Polish Championships, Lower Silesian Championships and Macroregion Championships. Rafał Gruman’s group scored 27 points in the Children and Youth Sports System, and thanks to these points and placements, the Municipality of Bolesławiec is included in sports rankings maintained by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism, the Marshal’s Office of Lower Silesia, the Polish Athletics Association, the Lower Silesian Athletics Association and the Lower Silesian Sports Federation
HUSAR Bolesławiec Sports Club – in the 2016 season, it took part in the Polish Senior Rugby 7 Cup competition, becoming the silver medalist. During the 2016 season, the club played in eight league tournaments, where its players repeatedly received individual awards as the best players of particular tournaments. HUSAR Club organized two International Rugby 7 Tournaments for the Mayor of Bolesławiec Cup, with more than 240 players participating in total. Teams from Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic took part. The club works closely with German rugby clubs SV Horken Kittlitz Rugby Club and Brandis Rugby Club, as well as the Czech Rumburk Lions. The Lower Silesian TAG Rugby Championships were held as part of this cooperation. In the past season, the club added three teams: mini-youth, youth and junior sections. One of the Husar Sports Club’s trainees was called up to Poland’s under-16 squad, and coach Jakub Lisiewski was appointed second coach of the national under-18 rugby 7 squad and coach of the regional team
XTRABIKE TEAM BOLESŁAWIEC Cycling Club – has existed since 2012. 2016 was a year rich in individual and team competitions. The Bolesławiec team mainly took part in two race series—Kaczmarek Electric MTB and Bike Maraton. Bike Maraton MTB is a 12-stage amateur MTB race attracting thousands of MTB enthusiasts. The general classification after 12 events brought high positions for both the team and individual riders. By the end of the season, 40 cyclists belonging to the team had competed. After the season ended, the team had 48 riders, including five road cyclists. For three years, the club has actively participated in organizing the Ceramic Xtrabike MTB Marathon in Bolesławiec, an MTB race organized by the Bolesławiec Local Initiatives Center VIA SUDETICA.
Bolesłavia Inter-School Sports Club – is a respected athletics training center in Lower Silesia and Poland. The club’s most important events and achievements in 2016 included winning 16 medals at the Polish Championships for juniors, younger juniors and under-16 athletes of the Polish Rural Sports Clubs. Two athletes competed at the European U18 Championships in Tbilisi. Fifty-seven male and female athletes achieved sports classifications, including six who earned second-class status and two who earned first-class status; they won 57 medals at the Lower Silesian Championships in various age categories and 11 at the macroregion championships. The club was the best under-16 club in the macroregion. It took third place among 27 classified clubs in Lower Silesia in the competition among Lower Silesian athletics clubs for children and youth, and 165th place in Poland among 3,372 sports clubs classified by the Ministry of Sport and Tourism. In 2016, Bolesłavia athletes also confirmed their high sporting level in the under-16 category, winning the macroregion competition for the second consecutive year. Bolesłavia won the team standings, proving to be the best of 36 clubs from Lower Silesia and Lubusz, with 53 points in the youth sports system.
DISTINCTIONS – SPORT
Jolanta Izabela Anasiewicz – has represented Bolesławiec on numerous occasions. In the 1990s, she won the gold medal three times at the Polish Powerlifting Championships. In December 2015, at a competition in Łódź, she became European champion in the bench press. Thanks to this victory, in November 2016 she took part in the WRPF World Championship in Moscow, where she also won gold
Waldemar Krzemiński – chairman of the “OLIMPIJCZYK” Special Olympics Club at the County Complex of Schools and Special Institutions. In 2016, he took second place at the first, second and third Polish Grand Prix for People with Disabilities in Table Tennis in Gdańsk; won a silver medal at the Individual Polish Table Tennis Championships in Gdańsk; took fifth place individually at the 16th Nationwide Table Tennis Tournament for People with Disabilities in Żywiec; took third place as part of a team at the International Table Tennis Tournament for People with Disabilities for the Janske Lazne City Cup; and third place as part of a team at the International Table Tennis Tournament for People with Disabilities in Drzonków.
