The greatest treasure of every city and every village are its INHABITANTS. They are the ones who give life to the streets and the houses. They are the ones who create the atmosphere of their small homelands. Each of us collects family heirlooms and has memories associated with them, which are not only a testimony to our family history, but also to the place where we live, where our ancestors lived and, perhaps, where our children and grandchildren will live.

TREASURES OF OLIWA was launched in 2016, a year so important for Oliwa and Gdańsk. 90 years ago, on 1 July 1926, Oliwa was incorporated into Gdańsk and became part of the capital of the region. In this joint project, the inhabitants of Oliwa share their stories and memorabilia, which the Gdańsk Community Foundation presents in the form of exhibitions and publishes albums. The second edition of the exhibition is presented in the modern part of Oliwa, in the Olivia Business Centre, while the great treasure gallery is available around the clock on the website: http://www.vivaoliva.pl/skarby.oliwian

We want to strengthen the local identity of the inhabitants of Oliwia and promote our cultural heritage. The collected souvenirs and stories are also intended to encourage the younger generation to learn about the history of their small homeland.

We plan to collect the Treasures of Olivians all the time, until the end of the world. Perhaps they will become part of the collection of the Oliwa Museum? In the future, we would like to establish such a museum operating both in the real and virtual world.

We would like to thank Mr. Mayor Paweł Adamowicz for taking the Honorary Patronage, our partners for their help in the implementation of the project: Fr. Canon Waldemar Waluk, M.A., Parish Priest of the Archcathedral Parish of St. The Holy Trinity, Tomasz Gut – the owner of the “Differently Than in Paradise” store, the Lion’s Mouth and the Oliwa Library, the Branch No. 2 of the Provincial and Municipal Public Library and media patrons: the www.staraoliwa.pl portal, Radio Gdańsk and the www.trojmiasto.pl portal, as well as the sponsor – ASTE.

Andrzej Stelmasiewicz (President of the Management Board of the Gdańsk Community Foundation)