Radomsko has interesting competencies related to the production and processing of wood - this is influenced by jobs in this industry, over two hundred years of tradition and the presence of the Complex of Wood and Environmental Schools. The same is true of the know-how related to the production of household appliances and other industries present in the economic zone - it is no coincidence that the Electrical and Electronic School Complex is adjacent.
In the world of Fameg's bentwood furniture you can sit back and be impressed
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
An analysis of Radomsko's surroundings also provides an interesting observation. The two closest and most easily accessible cities - Piotrków Trybunalski and Częstochowa - are not among the leaders in the rankings of cosmopolitan cultural and entertainment centers. In turn, it is too far from here to Warsaw, Lodz, Katowice or Cracow to simply pop out for a coffee and to the theater. This condemns Radomsko to a far-reaching independence in the field of providing the city and region's residents with access to entertainment and culture. Already today one can see how people's needs and attempts to meet them are arranged: the program of the Municipal House of Culture is dense and rich, the quality of cultural initiatives and actions carried out in Radomsko can surprise, and even several thousand people come to concerts. The prestigious festival and the poetry competition named after Janusz Różewicz are not the only ambitious events in this rather widely unnoticed (and therefore also underestimated) city. Radomsko today is a great city to work in, and there is a good chance - that soon it will also be a great city to live in. I would like other Polish cities of this size to have such opportunities before them and to have similar potential.
In line with the right trend, by the way, and the idea of fifteen-minute cities, Radomsko has every opportunity to become a city that is actually ideal for its entire population. Perhaps the quietness that has so far surrounded the place was related to the process of accumulating urban potentials. It's time to discover Radomsko - among other things, to take an example from it.
In the world of Fameg bentwood furniture, you can sit back from the impression
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
I have a few more observations. First - a rather strong right-wing bent discernible in the urban space, which is related, perhaps, to the anti-Semitic motifs that can be found in the Radomsko atmosphere. This is a typical phenomenon for Polish towns, which before the war were home to large and influential Jewish communities. It is worth taking this issue into account in the education carried out in the city, to get rid of such demons, fully accepting both the urban history and the contemporary, so very Polish space. From this perspective, it is also worth looking to the future - and that future, together with today's residents, will be increasingly populated by newcomers from other countries, often very far away. Awareness of this in Radomsko is already present today, which provides an opportunity to create modern integration programs and a suitably welcoming atmosphere for visitors.
In many conversations, I sensed a positive (though also critical) assessment of the city, closely related to the residents' self-assessment as citizens. Characteristic for me was the repeated emphasis on the absence of complexes. While this is my subjective assessment or observation - I liked it very much.
Tatar homestead, and such gems can be found in Radomsko
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
So to summarize: the discovery of Radomsko is the discovery of a small city that has clearly succeeded. It has an idea for itself, it has character, potential for the future and specific tasks to be accomplished to achieve intriguing cultural self-sufficiency. I will watch these processes with great curiosity, hoping that Radomsko will provide inspiration to other communities of similar size. Perhaps even putting the quality of implemented solutions of much larger players to shame.
In the world of bentwood furniture from Fameg, you can sit back and be impressed
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
The days of smaller cities are coming. The metropolises have already succeeded. Now it is necessary to wish it to the others, so far treated rather unfairly by development trends. With metropolises becoming very expensive and living in them not necessarily very comfortable due to traffic jams, crowding, restrictions on access to clean nature, light, shade, water and air - the chances of smaller centers are growing rapidly. The idea of the fifteen-minute city is being embodied. Slowly, the largest districts of major metropolises are gaining such functionality. And in light of such changes as the popularity of remote work, the saturation of labor markets in large metropolitan areas, growing social needs (socialization in an intimate group, civil society) - cities of 30,000 to 150,000 residents are gaining entirely new opportunities. What to do to take advantage of the opportunities? Invest in leisure industries, so that young people stay in Radomsko not only for the roof over their heads. And not just for a place to work. But so that they would also say that they have no need to go to a bigger city - because everything they need is already here. And there is a need for a varied gastronomic and cultural offer, modern meeting places and good entertainment.
In Fameg's world of bentwood furniture, you can sit back and be impressed
photo: Mateusz Zmyślony
All this can be done even very far from Krakow or Warsaw. In fact - the further away it is, the more necessary it becomes. I'm talking to the mayors of these cities about it. We feel like getting behind it comprehensively. I will let you know in this column how we are doing.
I would like to thank the mayor of Radomsko, Mr. Jaroslaw Ferenc, for discussions and inspiration, perhaps our meetings will contribute positively to broad changes in Polish localities. This could mean important changes for millions of people who have so far felt that they live outside the mainstream of events. Radomsko: good job!
St. Lambert Church and Regional Museum in Radomsko
© UM Radomsko
