- Our greatest treasure has always been not just silver or other riches hidden in the ground, but extraordinary people full of passion," said Tarnowskie Góry Mayor Arkadiusz Czech at today's press conference, where details of the celebrations programme were presented. What awaits Tarnogórz inhabitants and visitors to the city on this occasion?

A four-day bustle, a mass of cultural events, concerts, exhibitions, city games and walks and this in every district awaits Tarnogórz inhabitants on the occasion of the city's 500th anniversary. The programme of the celebrations has been largely created by the people themselves, because Tarnowskie Góry is a city of people with ideas.

On the occasion of the anniversary Gwarki will last for four days!

- Two of them will be strongly regional, Tarnowskie Góry-related, because we have plenty of talented artists," says Anna Gołkowska, director of the Tarnogórski Cultural Centre. As part of the Tarnogórian part of Gwarkiw, the 300 Choir, the winner of the Silver Longplay review, the Tarnogórian Big Band, the Tarnogórian Brass Band, the Tess Band and the Camillian Orchestra will perform. - A concert will be prepared especially for the occasion by the Oberschlesien band and the Representative Orchestra of the Municipality of Miasteczko Śląskie, the band Śląsk, as well as a special hit for the occasion: the Silesian Philharmonic and a piece for the 500th anniversary by Adam Wesołowski," announced Director Gołkowska.

On the Gwarki stage, as every year, we will see a plethora of stars: Janusz Walczuk, Alien and Majtis, Marcin Wyrostek, Oskar Cyms and the band Dżem, not heard in the City of Gwarki for a long time!

What else besides the Gwarki?

This year's Barbórka in the Middle of Summer will last for three days. It is all thanks to the cooperation of the Silesian Smyki orchestra, the Góry Kultury Association, the Tarnogórska Fundacja Kultury i Sztuki (Tarnogórska Foundation for Culture and Arts), TCK and other institutions, which are preparing a great music, dance and poetry performance on this occasion in the Market Square.

The jubilee is not only about the town centre. The Tarnogórski Shooting Fraternity has proposed 12 meetings and a two-stage shooting tournament for each of the city's districts, as well as lectures and historical walks in each district.

- The first walk and competition will already take place at the end of April in Bobrowniki Śląskie - Piekary Rudne," said Krzysztof Gwóźdź from the Brotherhood. This initiative will be realised as part of the competition for a priority task.

Let us remind: in addition to the competition, among others. The Heritage Association is planning a jubilee on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the Tarnogórskie pilgrimages vowed to Piekary Śląskie, while the Camillian Orchestra, as part of the 6th Tarnogórska Musical Night, has announced the premiere performance of the Tarnogórska Suite written especially for the city's 500th anniversary, The University of the Third Age has planned a jubilee mural, an urban game and a tournament of knowledge about the town, the Upper Silesian Narrow-Gauge Railway Association will invite people to take a ride on the railway, the Railway Technology Days, and the Wrazidlok Association will organise a mapping in autumn combining image with music and text.

- The celebrations began in earnest two years ago," said Piotr Korab, head of the city's Department of Culture, Tourism and Promotion, mentioning that to mark the anniversary, a mural for the 500th anniversary was created at the railway station, and two new institutions were set up: The Station of Culture (where today's conference was organised) and - together with the Marshal's Office and SMZT - the Staszic Shaft, the historic streets in the city centre are constantly being repaired, and another mural is also planned in the city centre.

- It will most likely be erected by the large roundabout, but what it will depict is a mystery for now," quipped Mayor Czech.

Literally the whole world will come to Tarnowskie Góry in mid-May to celebrate the jubilee. The reason: a conference on underground sites inscribed on the UNSESCO World Heritage List, which is being organised jointly by the city, the SMZT of towns and cities and the Museum of Cracow Jews. - Invited guests include those from Japan, the Americas, China, Australia and many European countries," explained Zbigniew Pawlak, President of the SMZT. - We have never had so many of them meet in one place at one time before.

All details of the events, including descriptions, can be found at www.500lat.pl.

What is planned by TCK and the Municipal Library?

Tarnogórskie Centrum Kultury, under the motto "With a Silesian Eye on Silesia" has planned, among others, a concert by Grzegorz Poloczek and an exhibition by Witold Zaręba, a performance by Ewa Wyskoczyl's theatre group, historical walks in the districts, an action "Holidays in Tarnogórskie backyards", the 10th edition of the Open-Air Cinema with Tarnogórskie accents, an improvisational cabaret "Battle for the Silver Pineapple" and a great concert by the SBB concert band.

- As part of the celebrations we will also be presenting prominent citizens of Tarnowskie Góry, so we already invite you to the autumn film experience in TG and a meeting with Kaja Klimek and Michał Oleszczyk," announces director Anna Gołkowska.

The cherry on the cake will be the "Synergy of ideas" project, as part of which TCK offers 5,000 zlotys of support for initiatives submitted by Tarnogórz inhabitants.

The Municipal Public Library proposes a series of meetings "Known, less known and unknown Tarnogórz inhabitants" devoted to people connected with Tarnowskie Góry, an urban game entitled "Tarnowskie Góry - 500 km away from the city". "Tarnowskie Góry - 500 years. Sightseeing - play sightseeing" aimed at the city's youngest inhabitants (30 May), a literary competition for children and young people entitled "A fairy tale about my town - the 500th anniversary of Tarnowskie Góry", a photographic competition entitled "The Magic of Tarnowskie Góry" and - instead of reading, as in the library - a great Tarnowskie Góry dictation.

- This year, a collection of "Tarnowskie Góry Stories" containing the best literary works from our competitions will also see the light of day," announced Agnieszka Rudawska, director of the MBP.

The Upper Silesian Narrow Gauge Railway Association (SGKW) has announced an all-access timetable during Gwarky, which will include the running of journeys on Saturday and Sunday, the launch of additional trains during the day on Friday, and special "night" trains to ensure transportation after concerts. In addition, from the end of September to the end of October, a cultural event dedicated to industrial culture, the history of mining and railways and the organisation of Railway Technology Days entitled "500 years of Tarnowskie Góry, 200 years of railways in the City of Railway Workers!" is planned every Sunday.

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- The list of events is not complete, we will add details to the calendar on an ongoing basis," says Head of Korab, adding that for better information on the celebrations, the Town Hall will also be issuing a monthly leaflet with upcoming events. In April alone, there will be more than a dozen such events.

Among the Jubilee goodies planned for sale will be scarves, socks, bidons bags, mugs and lanyards. Flags with the celebration logo are already hanging in the city centre, with additional flags on flagpoles to follow at the end of April.

While the first anniversary events have already started, the festivities are scheduled to begin on 30 April. Why then?

- On that day in 1526, mining freedom was granted, which is considered to be the symbolic beginning of the town," explains Beta Kiszel, director of the Museum in Tarnowskie Góry, which on that day, together with the Association of Tarnogórska Region Enthusiasts, invites you to a lecture by Professor Śmiea at 6.15 pm. Three quarters of an hour earlier, on the Market Square, the celebrations will be inaugurated by the Tarnogórz inhabitants themselves.

- At 5.30 p.m., all are invited to the Market Square. Together with Tarnowskie Góry orchestras we will sing the "Tarnogórski Bell", after which we will take a birthday photo - announces the mayor of Tarnogór. On this day, another edition of the #TourdeTG sports challenge will also be inaugurated, with cyclists, walkers and runners receiving prizes for completing specific distances related to the city's 500th anniversary .