On 6 and 7 September 2013, a battle commemorating the bicentenary of the Napoleonic campaign in Silesia will take place by the Bóbr River, next to the Bolesławiec viaduct. On Friday afternoon, 6 September, the troops of both formations will set up camp on the riverbank. Between 18:00 and 20:00, Bolesławiec Market Square will host a series of short historical scenes from the Napoleonic era: the recruitment of soldiers, drill, a field court session accompanied by an execution, and a historical fashion show. Similar short re-enactments will also be presented in the heart of the city on Saturday, 7 September, from 12:00 to 13:30. At the same time, from 10:00 to 15:00, all history enthusiasts interested in that era will be able to visit the military camp by the Bóbr and see for themselves what soldiers’ lives were like at the time. The visit will be a unique opportunity to view from close up, and even touch, elements of soldiers’ equipment and gear.
At 16:00, on the bank of the Bóbr by the viaduct, the event’s main attraction will begin – a re-enactment of the Battle of Bolesławiec between French troops and units of the anti-Napoleonic coalition, which took place in August 1813. The historical military spectacle, featuring black-powder weapons and cannons, will be performed with the participation of Napoleonic-era re-enactment groups from various Polish cities. The show will be preceded by a presentation of the publication “Napoleonic Tales of Bolesławiec”, which introduces the city’s most important episodes and events from the Napoleonic era in an engaging and accessible way. After the battle, anyone still wanting more impressions will once again be able to visit the camp, where, among other things, a field hospital from that period will be presented, including a demonstration of surgical procedures used at the time. The event will finally end at approximately 19:00.
The re-enactment of the battle and all accompanying events will commemorate the bicentenary of the 1813 Napoleonic campaign in Silesia. They will be carried out as part of the project entitled “The Historical Heritage of the Napoleonic Era in the Silesian-Lusatian Borderland”, whose main objective is to build a sense of connection and eliminate mutual prejudices between the communities of the border regions of Silesia and Lusatia, to make both sides aware of their close socio-political ties in the past and of life in a shared historical and cultural space in relation to the Napoleonic era. The initiative is co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund and by state budget funds, with the support of the Nysa Euroregion.
commissioned information, header image: Jacques-Louis David (National Gallery of Art)/Wikimedia Commons