It's ages since Złotoryja had its most magnificent period. In spite of that the traditions concerned with gold panning are still alive. To maintain the traditions there are numerous entertainments held within the Golden Week. To the most successful ones belongs an autdoor spectacle Gold Panning and a colourful historical pageant of townsmen and gold prospectors.
In Złotoryja, which is considered to be regarded as the capital of Polish Gold, there is the seat of the State Seniors of the Polish Guild of Gold Prospectors. During the World Championships in Gold Panning in 1994 in Rauris (Austria) the Polish Guild of Gold Prospectors was admitted to the World Gold Panners Association (WGA), an international organization uniting gold prospectors of all continents.
The members of the Guild represent the colours of the Polish national flag at the Europe and World Gold Panning Championships and achieve high positions. There are many well-known and respectable citizens of the Republic of Poland who can take pride in the membership of this exclusive association which is the only one in Poland to give special Certificates of Gold Prospectors.
The main goal of the guild is reviving and maintaining the rich tradition of gold mining in Poland. The Guild is the initiator and the main organizer of the International Polish Open Gold Panning Championships (of Poland)
Guild activities
The Polish Guild of Gold Prospectors was founded in 1992. Our association finds it most important to renew and cultivate the great traditions of gold mining in Poland. To achieve our goals we are involved in :
- organizing competitions concerning gold panning (the championships of the regions, international championships of Poland, World Championships)
- spreading a new form of recreation such as gold panning
- taking part in international events connected with gold mining
- making a collection connected with gold mining in the Museum of Gold in Złotoryja
- rendering old mining passages accesible to tourists
- publishing and informative activites
- making new contacts among the centres connected with gold
- mining in Pland and around the world
The first International Gold Panning Championships of Poland were organized by our Guild in 1994 since them they are traditionally held every year. They attract from 100 to 200 experienced gold procpectors not only from Poland (e.g. Australia, Great Britain, France, Holland, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia) and thousands of tourists eager for sensations. Each of them can take part in the championships.
The Polish Guild of Gold Procpectors was distinguished with the Snowdrop award of the Chairman of the Physical Education and Tourism Department. We took part in the biggest international touristic fairs ITB in Berlin and we presented ourselves in the Polish Institute in Prague.
The range of the activites of the Polish Guild of Gold Prospectors is very wide. Thanks to the efforts of our. Guild on the basis of the Welfare Museum of the District of Złotoryja there was founded the only in Poland the Museum of Gold. After many centuries, for the first time in Poland, our Guild started the production of the pans for gold panning. Thanks to the w-operation with the Polish Mail we have issued a few sets ofpostcards with an occasional stamp. Contacts with the Polish Mail bore fruits of five different kinds of phone card. Our association issues it own magazine titled Polish Gold. Along with the Polish Guild of Gold Prospectors there is the Sudetic School of Gold Panning. We have managed to stimulate other centres of old gold mining.
In 1994 PGGP was offically admitted to the World Goldpanning Association (WGA); the World Federation of Gold Prospectors, as an offical representative of Poland. Two years later, during the assembly of WGA in Dawson City (Canada) our association received a privilege of prestige the right to organize the World Golpanning Chamionships in 2000.
