Walbrzych, Poland

Walbrzych is a small rural town of 130,000 inhabitants, situated high in the Sudety mountains in South West Poland, near the Czech border.  Although an urban borough, its territory spans over 85 square kilometres of mostly agricultural and woodland, with a growing industrial area underpinned by a new special economic zone.  Local features include tourist attractions in the former coal mines; the beautiful Castle Ksiaz and its surrounding valley; renowned Higher education institutions and excellent transport and infrastructure links on the edge of the Czech Republic. 

Visit Walbrzych's website here.

Current Projects

• Wolverhampton to contribute a traditional rose display at the annual Castle Ksiaz flower festival, 1-3 May.
• Polish schools are invited to receive English Language teaching assistants under the EU funded Leonardo project, starting September 2005.
• Wolverhampton and Polish schools and Youth Councils starting email links and exchange visits.
• Potential Polish festival to contribute to Wolverhampton's programme of themed markets, 2006.
• Exchange of best practice with Walbryzch on issues of urban regeneration and tourist attraction development.

Wolverhampton expects to receive a delegation of Councillors and officers from Walbryzch, to discuss these projects in December 2005.

 

Background to Co-operation

Following Wolverhampton City Council and East Staffordshire Borough Council sponsorship of a successful EU-funded project with counterparts in Poland and Hungary, the authorities from the Polish region, Lower Silesia, were interested in the West Midlands' experience of having a presence in Brussels.  This led to the signing of a Mentoring Agreement between a newly founded 'Association of Lower Silesia in the European Union' and the West Midlands in Europe Partnership in September 2001.  The West Midlands in Europe office now hosts an office for the Association in Brussels, and is able to promote co-operation between organisations in the two regions.

This co-operation developed, for example through colleagues from Lower Silesia taking part in the Birmingham Summer University for the second year running, followed by a one-week work placement.  Wolverhampton hosted a placement from Jelena Gora, from Walbrzych, responsible for International links.  A programme of visits included Wolverhampton Art Gallery, the Lighthouse Centre, the Black Country Museum, and Dudley Glass Museum to see how European funding had been used, and a discussin of the structure of UK local government.

Additional work with the Chamber of Commerce has helped to create a map of potential business opportunities in the new accession states.

The West Midlands regional assembly led a delegation to Lower Silesia that saw a formal document of friendship signed between the two regions, outlining areas of co-operation that would mutually benefit the two regions.

In 2004, the West Midlands received a return delegation of dignitaries from Lower Silesia.  The group spent an afternoon in Wolverhampton, visiting the tram, the Civic Centre and key members and officers.  During this visit the President of Walbryzch presented the leader of Wolverhampton City Council with a co-operative friendship agreement between the two cities, which spelt out a menu of possible themes for co-operation, including education, youth and democracy, economic development, and arts and regeneration.