On the 20th and 21st of April, within the old tram depot, Dąbie in Wroclaw took place the 4th Find Your Greatness project transnational meeting. In a hybrid – physical and online form –, representatives of the municipality, NGOs, municipal institutions, and project team members talked about the industrial cultural heritage and projects implemented by 3 partners: Wrocław (Poland), Perugia (Italy), and Budafok (Hungary).
Wrocław was represented in this transnational meeting by the decision-makers within the municipality, and the URBACT Local Group: Urban Transport Enthusiasts Club, Wrocław Lovers' Association, The Center for Young Culture, and Local Initiatives CZASOPRZESTRZEŃ, Depot History Centre, and The Municipal Transport Company.
The main point of the discussion regarding the implementation of the Find Your Greatness project in Wroclaw and the development of the city brand was focused on the “big chance for the historical trams of Wroclaw to hit the road in this autumn”. Wroclaw has a great history of city trams, and a very beautiful culture harvested around public transportation and old revived trams. Last year’s parade of the historical stock of trams and the open doors events held at the city depot piqued the attention of the city residents and re-started the appetite for the tram culture. Given the success of these events and to repeat that success, multiple events related to the historical stock of Wroclaw trams are set to become a permanent part of the yearly events calendar.
On the road to finding its greatness, Wroclaw aims to create a brand new touristic product based on the historical stock of public transport. The URBACT program and the Find Your Greatness project provide the perfect environment of rediscovering and value “the most interesting places in Wrocław including the old depots, and traveling using historical trams and buses”, according to Michał Maliczkiewicz, the representative of the Department of Social Participation in Wroclaw.
The potential of growing the city brand in this perspective is amazing since Wrocław can showcase a pretty big collection of 70 historical vehicles, connected to the history of the city. Just a glimpse of the showcase: the most interesting “golden pieces” of the collection is a four-axle tram, “Maximum” type, dating from 1901, two trams “New Berolina” (popular ones called “Jaś” and “Małgosia”), the legendary cabriole-bus “Fredruś”, and a city cistern with sand from the middle of the 19th century.
For the renovation of the old vehicles, Wrocław Commune donated about 4,2 million zlotys in 2014-2021. Part of the fund came from a donation from City Historic Preservation. The most expensive, about 1,5 million zlotys, costed the renovation of the “Maximum” carriage which is just coming to an end.
