Ceramic Festival without an opening ceremony at the railway station. What about the Bolesławiec mayor’s promise?

In 2026, the 80th anniversary of the settlement of Bolesławiec County by re-emigrants from the former Yugoslavia will be commemorated. The railway station was the first place that welcomed them to Bolesławiec, which had been devastated by the war. The city authorities therefore wanted to begin the official weekend of the ceramic fair at the station and symbolically hand over the key to the city there to the Ceramic Brotherhood.

– That is why we already know that the ceremonies connected with the opening of the ceramic festival will begin on the station premises, symbolically, because that is where everything began, at that station – said the mayor Piotr Roman at the session on February 25, 2026.

Unfortunately, it was not possible to convince the operator of the Bolesławiec station, Polskie Koleje Państwowe S.A., to this idea. We know that the organizer of the Ceramic Festival attempted to negotiate with PKP S.A.

– We confirm that the organizer contacted us – Justyna Gawron from PKP S.A.’s Media Cooperation Department said at the beginning of July. – According to the information we received, the main celebrations of the Ceramic Festival are to be held in the Bolesławiec market square, with possibly one of its events taking place on the railway station premises. A decision on this matter will be made after all documents have been received from the organizer – Gawron added.

The program of the 32nd Bolesławiec Ceramic Festival already states, however, that the opening ceremony, combined with an artistic program marking the 80th anniversary of the return of Poles from the former Yugoslavia, will take place on the stage in the Market Square, on the green square beneath the basilica walls.

– There will be no opening at the railway station, only on the stage in the market square – this was confirmed by the city hall spokesperson Agnieszka Gergont on July 31, 2026.

A dramatic lack of diplomacy

In June 2026, Bolesławiec City Hall published an exceptionally harsh letter to PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe concerning the historic viaduct over the Bóbr River. The problem is that some of the wording more closely resembles a political polemic than official correspondence.

The deputy mayor Renata Szewczyk-Sacher signed the letter that the Bolesławiec authorities sent to the president of PKP Polskie Linie Kolejowe. The letter expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of effective action to remove graffiti from the historic railway viaduct over the Bóbr River. In the letter, the city hall used ironic and barbed language, even though it was written on behalf of all residents. We described the matter in the article Bolesławiec lectures PKP, or city officials allow themselves barbs. Controversy surrounding the letter about the viaduct.

It is possible that when officials fail to control their spitefulness, residents are deprived of the opportunity to open the festival in a symbolic location. The whole story also shows that Piotr Roman may say various things at council sessions to councillors who react to nothing, but in reality he does not command such influence.