CHARMED BY THE KARKONOSZE MOUNTAINS: PRZEMYSŁAW WIATER (1958–2020)

Abstract

Przemysław Wiater PhD was a historian, art historian, museum curator, and a regionalist. In 1994–2020, he worked as a certified curator at the Carl and Gerhart Hauptmann House in Szklarska Poręba. In February 2020, he became Director of the Karkonosze Museum in Jelenia Góra. Furthermore, in 2008–2017, he ran courses at the Higher School of Management in Legnica. Committed to recovering historic monuments from Lower Silesia, he also served as a councillor for several terms of office in Szklarska Poręba, where he lived. An outstanding regionalist, Wiater focused on investigating the history of Lower Silesia, particularly the Karkonosze and Izera Mountains. He was the first to undertake research into the local tangible and non-tangible cultural heritage, popularizing it in publications describing the history of Szklarska Poręba, Walloon mineral and gem prospectors, old herbalists and laborants, history of glassworks, or the figure and legend of the Spirit of the Mountains. Having discovered the phenomenon of artistic colonies, he popularized it and adapted to harmonize with contemporary times. His idea was to culturally integrate the region basing on historical cultural contents and the heritage imported by post- -WW II settlers. Sharing his knowledge in a popular way, he infected others with his passion, particularly young people to whom he provided support and inspiration. It was at his instigation that the W.E. Peuckert Guild of the Sudety Mountains Guides was formed; member of the Chapter of the Sudety Mountains Walloon Brotherhood, he was also the knight of the informal Society of the Evening Castle, additionally cooperating with the Izery Society. Originator of the Izery Retro Run and the Flannel Rally, he inspired the formation of several tourist routes, such as the ‘Juliusz Naumonowicz Walloon Hiking Trail’, contributing to the creation of the ‘W.E. Peuckert Trail’ and the Polish-Czech ‘Laborants’ Trail’.