The City of Ceramics in the Golden Book of Good Practices

The organiser of the competition, which aims to promote valuable initiatives undertaken for and with older people, is the Commissioner for Human Rights together with the Commission of Experts on Older People.

The form of recognition is the inclusion of a description of the good practice in the Golden Book, which is patronised by the Commissioner for Human Rights. The Bolesławiec project “Senior as a Witness to History” was recognised and included in the Golden Book of Good Practices.

All activities within the “Senior as a Witness to History” project were organised by the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec in cooperation with associations and Bolesławiec schools, with the support of Bolesławiec City Municipality.

The ceremony was also attended by residents of Bolesławiec: Maria Niemczuk, president of the Bolesławiec Circle of the Siberians’ Association; Władysława Kotlarek, president of the Bolesławiec Amazons’ Circle; and Przemysław Kania, a graduate of Secondary School No. 2 and a filmmaker.

The distinguished awards were received by Bolesławiec Mayor Piotr Roman and the director of the Museum of Ceramics, Anna Bober-Tubaj.

Adam Bodnar emphasised that bringing generations together was particularly important in the recognised initiatives. He cited the example of Bolesławiec, where young people recorded the memories of older city residents and posted them on YouTube. “Such activities should be appreciated and promoted,” the Commissioner said.

What is the “Senior as a Witness to History” project?

The “Senior as a Witness to History” project is a multifaceted social education programme in which teaching roles are entrusted to older people with specific, unique skills or knowledge, interesting passions, or a desire to share their experiences and personal stories.

The programme aims to make multifaceted use of the knowledge and experience of the older generation in the broadly understood historical and cultural education of younger generations. Particular emphasis is placed on promoting intergenerational meetings, which serve to strengthen social bonds, pass on life wisdom and experience, and reinforce local social culture.

“On the one hand, the idea behind the project is to involve older people in transmitting cultural values to younger generations; on the other, it is for them to adopt modern models and skills from younger generations,” says Anna Bober-Tubaj, director of the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec.

“Senior as a Witness to History” is a long-term project consisting of four different modules:

1. The “Save from Oblivion” programme, whose aim is for students from Bolesławiec schools to record and publish in book form the memories of successive groups of re-emigrants who arrived in the Bolesławiec area in the 1940s and 1950s.
   The task has been carried out since 2013 by the Museum of Ceramics in Bolesławiec and Municipal Lower Secondary School No. 2 named after Poles Deported to Siberia, in cooperation with Bolesławiec schools and associations: the Bolesławiec Circle of the Siberians’ Association, the Society of Friends of Lviv and the South-Eastern Borderlands, Bolesławiec Branch, the Polish-French Cooperation Society in Wrocław, and the Association of Re-emigrants from Bosnia, Their Descendants and Friends.
   The following publications have appeared as part of the series:
   • 2013: “We Had No Childhood... Memories of Siberians from Bolesławiec”
   • 2014: “Save from Oblivion. Memories of Poles from the Eastern Borderlands in Bolesławiec”
   • 2015: “Everything Was Different Here. Memories of Bolesławiec Re-emigrants from France,” edited by K. Dudek
   • 2016: “Tearing Land from the Wilderness… Memories of Bolesławiec Re-emigrants from Yugoslavia”
   as well as publications on resettlement in album form:
   • 2014: “From Bosnia to Bolesławiec. Memories of Re-emigrants from Yugoslavia”
   • 2015: “Poles on Bosnian Soil. Photographic Memories of Bolesławiec Re-emigrants.”
2. The “History Written by Life” programme involved producing and broadcasting a series of 20 documentary films made by the Museum of Ceramics in cooperation with local television station Azart-Sat in 2009–2010. The task aimed to visualise the memories of older people who had contributed to the history of the post-war city through their social, educational or cultural activities. The films were broadcast on television and are now also available on www.muzeum.boleslawiec.net and on the Vimeo platform.
3. The “Senior as Teacher of Traditional Professions” programme comprises cycles of free practical workshops led by older people with professional experience or a hobby-based passion for a particular field. Organised since 2012, the classes introduce young city residents to occupations, crafts and traditions that were once widespread but are now fading into oblivion
4. The “Bolesławiec Yearbook” programme has involved publishing, since 2009, a periodical presenting events, institutions, associations, social phenomena and people who have contributed to the history of Bolesławiec through their activities. Both the authors of the texts and the members of the editorial board are predominantly older people, and this group has a decisive influence on the content and publishing quality of the yearbook.

To date, 7,488 people have participated in the project.