This is a story told by Wiesław Surówka, a horse breeder, admirer of local history, volunteer firefighter, animator and head of a knights’ fraternity. It records a certain period in the history of the palace complex in Grodziec and the local community, at a time when the palace was owned by the Polish Esperanto Association and the district president was Jan Narbut from Bolesławiec.
– It was around 1986, perhaps earlier – Wiesław Surówka recalls. – The Esperantists began renovations and made the palace stables usable, although they were still in a raw state. Then a friend of mine suggested that we start holding nightclubs there, in those stables. That was when I met Jan Narbut. We went to the Palace, and he was very receptive; he was simply a very positive person and agreed to the nightclubs – Surówka adds.
At night, Wiesław and his friends listened to Radio Luxembourg, recorded songs on cassette tapes and used them to create nightclub playlists.
– People came from all the surrounding towns and villages – says the creator of the stables’ nightclubs. – Sometimes there were as many as a hundred people. Some even came on horseback or by bicycle, and of course by car. There was really a great group of young people then who simply wanted to do something. We made the posters ourselves. My friends and I rode our bicycles around the area putting them up. I was also a firefighter at the time, and we signed an agreement with Mr Narbut for shared use of the stables, which were transformed into a village community center. Later, the village authorities financed renovations and developed the place nicely. So, in addition to nightclubs, parties and weddings were also held there – Wiesław recalls.
The period of political transformation in 1989 brought the era of the nightclubs to an end.
– A buyer was found for the palace, and the conservator decided that the stables should be sold together with the palace, despite the fact that the village had invested so much money there – Wiesław explains. – The Polish Esperanto Association was supposed to establish its center for Poland here, but it withdrew from the plan. It decided on a location in Łódź instead, and Mr Narbut had to return the palace to the municipality, which sold it – recalls the organizer of the hottest parties in the area.