On Wednesday, a ceremonial birthday session of the Bydgoszcz City Council took place to commemorate the granting of city rights to Bydgoszcz 680 years ago. This year, the host of the anniversary session was the new building of the Academy of Music, which has not yet been in operation for a full year. For this reason, the event could not go without a concert and broadly understood music.
It is said that there are no coincidences, only symbols – the logo of the UNESCO Creative Cities appeared on the commemorative birthday cake, and Voivode Michał Sztybel noted that belonging to this group means that, translated from football jargon, Bydgoszcz plays in the musical Champions League. The symbolism of this year’s round anniversary was strongly infused with musical references – the name of the person who built this image was also mentioned: Andrzej Szwalbe.
The birthday session of the City Council is an annual opportunity for reflection and for various communities to celebrate the fact that they work daily for Bydgoszcz. It is also a moment to present the highest distinctions awarded by the city authorities – the Casimir the Great Medals (as a rule, they are awarded only on this occasion). This year, this exceptional honor was given to Ryszard Ciężki – a former local government activist involved in Bydgoszcz affairs and a legend of local volleyball from the perspective of a sports organizer. The medal was also awarded individually to Harald Matuszewski, a local OPZZ leader engaged in the fight for workers’ rights and a former city councillor. Collectively, the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate and the Bydgoszcz branch of the Polish Teachers’ Union were honored.
“For the glory of the Homeland! I believe that in this universal meaning it also includes our small homeland such as Bydgoszcz. For us, as employees of the Support Inspectorate – nearly 850 people – it is our Homeland. It is the place where we carry out difficult tasks,” emphasized Brigadier General Dariusz Mendrala, highlighting his connection with Bydgoszcz.
During the session, the Marian Rejewski and Andrzej Szwalbe awards were also presented, as well as the Mayor’s awards for scientific and cultural activity.
A particularly special moment was the speech by representatives of municipalities and counties forming the Bydgoszcz Metropolis, who jointly extended their wishes to the central city of the metropolitan area. More on this will be written on Thursday.
In addition to local government officials, many community activists attended the event. There were also Dutch visitors who have been bringing donations to Bydgoszcz care and educational institutions for several decades, as well as former parliamentarians: Teresa Piotrowska, Anna Bańkowska, Senator Dorota Kępka, and former Chairwoman of the City Council Dorota Jakuta.
An important part of the session was a ceremonial concert prepared by a military orchestra together with the hosts – the Academy of Music. During the performance, the Vice-Rector, Dr. habilitated Mariusz Klimsiak, sat at the piano, a glimpse of which we present in our video report.
Od 2009 roku związany z lokalnymi mediami. Specjalizuje się w tematach dotyczących infrastruktury, polityki regionalnej oraz funkcjonowaniu samorządów.
