“In the beginning there was Dłubnia” — a debate on the origins of Nowa Huta and the importance of the Dłubnia river

Before Nowa Huta was founded, there were rivers, streams, wetlands, ponds, fields and villages. Water set the rhythm of people's lives, shaped the terrain and created local ecosystems. Later came the great construction of the city and the combine, which radically changed the landscape.

Dłubnia is one of the rivers that remembers the former areas of Nowa Huta, long before the idea of building a city appeared. What is left of the former water landscape that existed before the construction of NH and the combine?

Where were the streams, ponds and wetlands that disappeared under the streets and settlements of Nowa Huta? How did its construction change the Dłubnia? What role does this river play in this space today? Can we think of it, not as an element of infrastructure, but as a living ecosystem and part of the heritage of Nowa Huta?

We invite you to participate in the debate on this topic. The meeting will be attended by:

Mariusz Czop, PhD, professor at the Cracow University of Science and Technology at the Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environmental Protection

Marcin Pawlik, Councillor of the 18th district of Nowa Huta, Member of the Dłubnia River Renaturization Team (Project Council).

Cecylia Malik, painter, performer, educator, environmentalist and urban activist. Founder of the eco-feminist collective “Siotry Rzeki”

Paweł Augustynek-Halny, video creator, editor, operator and environmental activist related to river conservation, member of the Coalition to Save Rivers

Katarzyna Kobylarczyk, writer and reporter, associated with Nowa Huta. Author of books in which she deals with memory, the history of places and the experience of their inhabitants. Including, among others, “Fairy Tales from the Block of Miracles. Reportage from Nowa Huta” and “Women of Nowa Huta. Bricks, pearls and firecrackers”

The conversation will be led by Maciej Miezian, art historian, publicist, employee of the Krakow Museum - Nowa Huta Branch, author of the guide “Nowa Huta. Socialist in form, fascinating in content”