Farewell to Bishop Waldemar Pytel

On June 29, a farewell ceremony was held for the pastor of the parish of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession under the invocation of the Holy Trinity. It was also attended by the director of the ICC, Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik, and Prof. Jacek Purchla. 

Waldemar Pytel and his wife, Bożena Pytel, have been taking care of the Church of Peace in Świdnica since 1989. This unique place was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. Rev. Pytel was not only pastor of the Evangelical-Augsburg parish in Świdnica (since 1991), but also bishop of the Wrocław Diocese of the Evangelical-Augsburg Church, stretching from Karpacz to Szczecin. He has been repeatedly awarded for the protection of cultural property and ecumenical activities. Among other things, he is the winner of the 20th edition of the Prof. Aleksander Gieysztor Award. Through him, the Church of Peace has become a symbol of reconciliation and dialogue. Thanks to the activities of the parish priest and his wife, it was possible to restore the place to its former glory. 

The bishop has repeatedly cooperated with the ICC. Thanks to his favor, among other things, the 9th edition of the V4 Heritage Academy summer school, organized in Świdnica and Jawor in 2018, took place. The 28th issue of Herito (2017) featured an extensive interview by Prof. Jacek Purchla and Dr. Lukasz Galusek with bishop Waldemar Pytel.