This year, an application concerning the change of the name of Jelenia Góra County to Karkonosze County was submitted to the Polish government. Local councillors argued in the application that the actions were being undertaken for identification and promotional purposes.
“Last year, I became head of the team responsible for changing the name. We held public consultations and asked the individual municipal councils for their opinions. Most people and councillors were in favour, and the voivode also responded positively to the matter. This is about building the Karkonosze brand. We want to show that the Karkonosze are the most important. For example, we want to have our own souvenirs, not ones from Zakopane. That is the direction we are taking,” says Ewa Lijewska-Małachowska, secretary of what is still Jelenia Góra County, and soon to be Karkonosze County.
The aim of the change is to clearly associate the region with the Karkonosze mountain range, one of the region’s greatest tourist attractions, rather than exclusively with the city of Jelenia Góra, which is not part of the county but is only the seat of the county authorities.
Co sądzisz o zmianie nazwy powiatu?
Jelenia Góra County consists of:
- cities: Karpacz, Kowary, Piechowice, Szklarska Poręba
- rural municipalities: Janowice Wielkie, Jeżów Sudecki, Mysłakowice, Podgórzyn, Stara Kamienica.
Opinions and positions:
- positive opinion of the Municipal Council in Szklarska Poręba
- positive opinion of the Municipal Council in Janowice Wielkie
- positive opinion of the City Council of Piechowice
- positive opinion of the Podgórzyn Municipal Council
- positive opinion of the Lower Silesian Voivode
- negative opinion of the Mysłakowice Municipal Council
- negative opinion of the Stara Kamienica Municipal Council
- The Karpacz Municipal Council, the Municipal Council in Kowary and the Jeżów Municipal Council did not take a position.
The draft has now been submitted for opinions from the Central Statistical Office and the National Electoral Commission. It has also been submitted for an opinion from the Joint Commission of the Government and Territorial Self-Government. The results of the consultations will be discussed once they have concluded.
The entire procedure should be completed in 2020, and from January 1 we should have Karkonosze County.