– Both the county hospital and the provincial hospital have air-raid shelters, facilities classified as part of so-called passive air defense. A great many of them were built in these areas – primarily before World War II, but also during the war – explains Zdzisław Abramowicz, a history enthusiast specializing in Bolesławiec and the surrounding area. – They were intended to protect the population from bomb blasts during air raids. However, they could not withstand a direct bomb hit, even if they were permanent shelters.
Remains of this type of shelter can be found in Bolesławiec’s parks, near the railway station and by the courthouse. Some shelters are now used as a kind of museum. (This is the case, for example, in Lubań.)
Soon, however, it will no longer be necessary to travel to the neighboring county to visit such a shelter. – There are several such structures on the hospital grounds; until recently, they were used as hospital warehouses – says Kamil Barczyk, head of the Healthcare Complex in Bolesławiec.
The air-raid shelters on the grounds of the Bolesławiec facility are in good condition. The shelters are soon to be opened to visitors. Because, as K. Barczyk emphasizes, Bolesławiec hospital is not only about treating patients but also a piece of history.