After the death of Prof. Wincenty Tyrankiewicz in 1964, Zygmunt Brusiło, a young history graduate, came to the Bolesławiec secondary school to fill the vacancy.

Bolesławiec appealed to the young master's liking, and he appreciated both the charm of the old town and the city's economic potential. Zygmunt Brusiło lived in a small room on the third floor of the secondary school, next to the doctor's office.

The work of teaching history and knowledge about Poland appealed to the young man. It was an elite occupation. In the 1960s, the secondary school's teaching staff was young—aged 23 to 35—and the teachers had higher education. This encouraged close friendships with people who had similar interests and levels of education.

The first matura examination in which Zygmunt Brusiło took part as an examiner was held in May 1965. It was a completely different examination from today's. Not only were the assessment rules different—grades from 2 to 5 were awarded—but so was the attire of the male and female graduates.

“In the 1960s, there were regulations which, from today's perspective, seem rather exotic,” recalls Zygmunt Brusiło. “Wearing a school badge was compulsory. The teacher on duty checked this at the school entrance. A navy-blue or black smock, a ban on make-up for girls, and flat shoes were required. Female students did not wear trousers, while a ‘war’ was waged against the long hair of boys imitating the Beatles, Niemen or other rock musicians. The headmaster sent teachers on patrols of city cafés to check whether young people were staying there at prohibited times. The prom lasted until midnight, and school attire was mandatory: a white blouse and navy-blue skirt, or a suit and tie,” Zygmunt Brusiło recounts.

A year after his first matura examination as an examiner, Zygmunt Brusiło met his future wife at the school. In 1966, a young graduate of Polish studies at the University of Wrocław, Alicja, was hired by the secondary school as a teacher. Later, he was appointed headmaster of the school. In the 1970s, as headmaster, Zygmunt Brusiło hired, among others, Barbara Słaboń and Maria Łużniak (Polish teachers), Zofia Diakowska (a mathematics teacher), Edmund Maliński and Stanisław Małkowski (history teachers).

The full memoir can be read in the 2017 Bolesławiec Yearbook.