Bolesławiec County is crossed by the Kwisa River, which once formed the boundary between two historical regions. The areas east of its course belong to Lower Silesia, while everything to the west—including several localities in the Osiecznica and Nowogrodziec municipalities—is already Upper Lusatia. For centuries, these lands were the scene of turbulent changes, passing from one ruler’s hands to another’s until they were incorporated into Prussia in 1815.
The western edge of today’s county therefore has a rich Upper Lusatian past. Its early Slavic history is still reflected in names such as Czerna and Bieniec, although many of the surrounding villages were established by German colonists. During the interwar period, the memory of Upper Lusatian roots was still alive—in documents and on postcards, abbreviations such as “O.-L.” (Oberlausitz) appeared alongside place names.
After 1945, with the arrival of new settlers, this identity began to fade. The area was regarded primarily as the “Recovered Territories,” while old names and symbols were largely forgotten. Today, traces of Upper Lusatian history can be encountered in only a few places, although local regional historians are rediscovering them—especially in Lubań and Zgorzelec, which still recall the history of this land.
Preserving the Upper Lusatian past could become an attractive idea for promoting the region. Simple measures, such as naming streets after Lusatia, issuing local postcards marked “Upper Lusatia,” or organizing themed events, naturally build awareness of the area’s uniqueness. Another idea would be to place symbolic “border signs” by bridges where Upper Lusatia begins (or ends), as well as to use local coats of arms referring to both traditions—the Lower Silesian and the Lusatian.
With such an approach, residents of Bolesławiec County—regardless of which side of the Kwisa they live on—could gain a fuller understanding of their small homeland’s multilayered heritage. Tourists seeking unusual destinations would certainly appreciate coherent and engaging stories from the borderland between Silesia and Lusatia.
On the cover: the coat of arms of Upper Lusatia from a map dating to 1635.