Our Monument Competition is a flag project of Most the Most Foundation initiating and strengthening the commitment of local societies around monument restoration and giving them new social functions. “Our Monument” Competition is divided into two parts: the first one is selecting one monument in a voivodeship and the second one is selecting the ideas for the use of the winning monument. The pilot edition of the competition organized in Lower Silesia received massive response from local societies and governments.
In the I Competition the inhabitants of Dolnośląskie voivodeship submitted 250 applications in which they indicated 56 monuments. The Palace in Kiełczyn was the winner from among them. In II Competition – for choosing the social function of the Palace – the inhabitants of Dzierżoniów, Kiełczyn and the surroundings were actively involved by submitting many interesting ideas for how to use this historic place.
Upon signing the agreement Most the Most Foundation will transfer the grant to Dzierżoniów municipality for the monument restoration and adjusting it to the chosen social function. Eventually, in the Palace there will be a social integration room where meetings, workshops and themed classes will be held – including for seniors; tourist information point joint with a shop with handicraft; library point with a reading room, Regional Chamber in which rich collection of exhibits from the municipality and the region’s area will be presented and space for activities of local associations. What is important from the Foundation’s point of view, Dzierżoniów municipality decided to invite students from the faculty of Landscape Architecture of Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences to get them involved in the works with land development around the Palace.
Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, which supports building social commitment around such initiatives as Our Monument Competition, among others, is the founder of Most the Most Foundation.
– Social commitment is one of the pillars of our strategy. It means building and strengthening the social capital by activating different social groups. Most the Most Foundation co-implements the Bank’s mission. It initiates commitment of the inhabitants of smaller and bigger towns in the area connected with culture. It support the projects that are the answer to local needs and creating and implementing of which brings the local society together – Beata Daszyńska-Muzyczka, the president of Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego thinks and emphasizes: – Our Monument Competition is the example of such actions. The inhabitants of Kiełczyn, Dzierżoniów and the surrounding areas were involved in the competition and their monument won. Today they can feel like local heroes. Their work brought palpable effects. Thanks to the grant from Most the Most Foundation the Palace in Kiełczyn will soon not only be restored to its former glory but will also be the place of integration, education and development for the inhabitants.
Brygida Ślabska also added that the agreement signed today is just the beginning of a wonderful cooperation between Most the Most Foundation and the society of Kiełczyn and the local government of Dzierżoniów municipality. – The Foundation is planning to co-host with the owner of the monument cultural and educational events that we will soon invite You to – she added.
– The Palace in Kiełczyn is a place with great potential in terms of the region’s cultural heritage, and also it plays significant role in the history of Dzierżoniów municipality. That is why for many years we have made every effort for local society to discover anew its historical, cultural and architectural value – Marek Chmielewski said and added – I believe that thanks to winning the pilot of Our Monument Competition we will be able to make a large step towards restoring the place to its former glory. What is also of crucial importance, our inhabitants that could submit their ideas to Most the Most Foundation played a large part in the future function of the Palace.
The Palace in Kiełczyn – more information
About Our Monument Competition
“Our Monument” Competition is a project of regional and local nature. It is announced sequentially in particular voivodeships so as to eventually cover all voivodeships each year. The Foundation finalizes the pilot of the competition in Podlasie and Lower Silesia, at the moment there is also call for entries in Kujawsko-Pomorskie and Łódzkie voivodeships. In 2022 the competitions in next voivodeships will be announced.