On 30 March 2017, a promotion of two publications devoted to the post-war history of the city and its residents, published by the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec, was held at the Orzeł Cultural Integration Centre on Chopina Street: “Bolesławiec Residents – They Did Not Come from Nowhere. On the Settlement Landscape of Lower Silesia” and “Wresting Land from the Wilderness… Memories of Bolesławiec Re-emigrants from Yugoslavia”.
Approximately 200 people attended the event, mainly residents of Bolesławiec, as well as researchers of settlement-related issues. The event was divided into two parts, during which the individual publications were presented, and the opening remarks were delivered by the Mayor of Bolesławiec – Piotr Roman.
In the first part of the meeting, Prof. Dr Habil. Grzegorz Strauchold from the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław presented information about the publication “Bolesławiec Residents – They Did Not Come from Nowhere. On the Settlement Landscape of Lower Silesia”. The book contains 32 papers delivered during a conference held in Bolesławiec on 17–18 June 2016, concerning settlement issues and the development of settlement in Bolesławiec and Lower Silesia after 1945. The authors included representatives of academic institutions, state institutions and organisations, and local associations: Barbara Smoleńska, Halina Waniak, Maria Niemczuk, Kamilla Dudek, Grzegorz Jankowski, Jerzy Zieliński, Dr Rafał Nowakowski, Anna Bober-Tubaj, Dr Edmund Maliński, Krzysztof Rajczakowski, Agata Bojanowska, Dr Dariusz Przybytek, Dr Habil. Filip Wolański, Dr Barbara Techmańska, Marta Łobacz, Angelika Perz, Dr Grzegorz Sobel, Natalia Maria Kotrys, Kamilla Jasińska, Prof. Dr Habil. Grzegorz Strauchold, Zygmunt Brusiło, Zdzisław Abramowicz, Dr Aleksander Srebrakowski, Prof. Dr Habil. Rościsław Żerelik, Barbara Grzybek, Ivo Łaborewicz, Dr Habil. Joanna Nowosielska-Sobel, Adam Baniecki, Dr Habil. Piotr Pałys, Prof. Dr Habil. Leszek Ziątkowski, Kamil Frączkiewicz, Barbara Schutty, Joanna Wolska-Zielińska. The conference was organised by the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec, with support from the Municipality of Bolesławiec; the Historical Atlas Workshop of the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław; the “Memory and Future” Centre; the State Archives in Wrocław, Bolesławiec Branch; and the Bolesławiec Cultural Centre–International Ceramics Centre.
The second part, led by Maria Subik– principal of Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 2 named after Poles Deported to Siberia in Bolesławiec, and Anna Bober-Tubaj, director of the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec, was devoted to the book “Wresting Land from the Wilderness… Memories of Bolesławiec Re-emigrants from Yugoslavia”. This is the fourth publication issued as part of the “Save from Oblivion” project, devoted to individual groups of re-emigrants who arrived in the Bolesławiec area after 1945. The project was carried out in 2013–2016 by Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 2 and the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec, with the support of local associations and students and teachers from schools in Bolesławiec and nearby towns. The publication “Wresting Land from the Wilderness…” is devoted to the largest group of settlers in the area. Ninety-one students from schools of various levels and 13 teachers were involved in preparing the volume. They compiled as many as 89 biographies, richly illustrated with photographs from the family archives of the people featured. The publication was edited by Prof. Dr Habil. Grzegorz Strauchold (Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław), Ewa Ołenicz-Bernacka and Ewa Szajwaj (Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 2 named after Poles Deported to Siberia), and Agata Bojanowska and Anna Puk (Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec). Many of the people whose memories were featured were present in the hall. They received a copy of the book and a symbolic rose from the young authors of the biographies. It was a deeply moving moment of the ceremony.
On behalf of the re-emigrants, Halina Waniak, chair of the Association of Re-emigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends, delivered warm concluding remarks. The musical programme was prepared by students from Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 2 in Bolesławiec under the supervision of Justyna Rapa.