Bolesławiec

Bolesławiec stands beside the Bóbr River in Lower Silesia. Founded in the thirteenth century, the town became known far beyond its walls for its pottery. Clay vessels made here served kitchens and farms, while pitchers and tankards adorned tables in more prosperous homes.

Pottery making in Bolesławiec is documented by the fourteenth century. By 1473 five separate workshops were active, and in 1511 their masters formed a guild to protect their craft. From the late fifteenth century potters produced high-fired wares with brown and yellow glazes. Alongside jars, baking forms and storage vessels they made decorative jugs, sometimes fitted with pewter mounts. This craft gave the town, known in German as Bunzlau, a distinctive and lasting place among the workshops of Silesia.