My Small Homeland

For almost 30 years I have lived in Lower Silesia, in the South West of Poland.

Lower Silesia still surprises me with its history. There are so many interesting places here. Some of them I have discovered, some are still waiting to be discovered. The stories of individual people and entire local communities overlap with the history of three nations: Poland, Germany and Czech. In my part of Lower Silesia, the major town is Kłodzko and Kłodzko is a part of the history of each of these three nations.

Throughout this region there are numerous roadside shrines and penitential crosses dating back to before Polish people were moved to my immediate area after the end of the Second World War. The land here had previously been occupied by Germans and everyone was convinced that their presence here would only be for a short time and that the Germans would return soon.

The result was a lack of respect for homes, work places and cultural property. In the 1940s, 1950s, and even later, people lived in buildings until they collapsed, then moved to another building that had not yet been populated. No renovations or repairs were carried out, nothing at all. It's hard to blame them. You could say it's not their fairy tale; they had been forcibly relocated to this land.

What was to be done?

You just had to live and feed your family. Just learn to function again in an unknown reality.

They were not convinced that this was their place on earth, because they considered their homeland to be the lands from which they left. Here they were facing a new chapter in their lives, where they had to lay the foundations for a new homeland - the homeland of their children and subsequent generations.

Poland’s post war borders were decided by the leaders of the Allied powers during a conference in Yalta. However the Polish people, who were forced to relocate here, remembered earlier partitions of Poland. In the back of their mind they didn’t trust that the new situation would continue. They expected that eventually they would be able to return to the areas they had come from.

The situation changed radically when the next generation grew up. They did not know the homeland of their parents. They were born here, raised here. This was their place on earth.

With the changes through these two generations, part of the Cultural heritage of this area has been lost forever. However some architectural pearls have been have been preserved. Today the local communities are not indifferent and care about the historical heritage of this region.

I will tell you about one amazing place. Above Stara Morawa is Suszyca Mountain. From there you can see the picturesque mountainous landscape of the Snieznik Massif. Suszyca is in the Bialskie mountain area, part of the East Sudetes range.

In this place amongst the mountains and forests is the Grotto of the Mother of God and Way of the Cross.

Where did the Grotto come from? A farmer from nearby Stara Morawa had two sons who were sent to fight during World War One. The desperate father fell to his knees and fervently begged God for the happy return of his sons from the war. He also took the oath that if his sons came back safe and sound, he would build the Grotto to the Mother of God near Suszyca. When the sons did return, the father kept his promise. The Grotto has now become a place for the worship of Mary.

Years passed ... World War II occurred. After that war Poles came to this area. At first they were not interested in this place. The cave, although charming, deteriorated more and more. The rust corroded the entire Way of the Cross, until only metal pipes remained.

In 2007 there was a turn in history. The surrounding population from the Bolesławów and Stronie Śląskie parishes decided to take care of the Grotto and rebuild it. A new Way of the Cross was created. The area was tidied up, a bridge was built, stairs improved.

After the restoration was completed, the bishop was asked to consecrate the Grotto. It was an amazing experience. There was an orchestra and choir of over 100 people. Pilgrims came to the Grotto along a long path up a steep slope. The area was given a new breath of life.

The Polish people who rebuilt the Grotto identify with it because it is now their place, their history. It was rejuvenated through their work, their sacrifice, their money, their commitment. And that commitment has had a lasting effect. While some of the original people behind the project are already dead, their children remain proud of this holy place. It has now become part of their story.

It is now an area of local worship. Every year, the local priest organizes pilgrimages to the Grotto of Our Lady near Suszyca.

During the reconstruction, grandchildren of a German family, whose grandfather built the original Grotto, were informed about the solemn opening and consecration of this place. The family did not come, but warmly thanked for the efforts to rebuild and take care of this place. Incredible!

This place has become the history of both the Polish and German nations. Everyone thinks it's his story ... and everyone is right. Poles who live here are increasingly taking root in their small homeland, by doing such works. And every weary tourist who goes here can relax and meditate. There is magic here. Mysterious Lower Silesia!

There are many such places and stories in Lower Silesia and I will write about them