Elżbieta Sontag, an expert in amber inclusion and the director of the Amber Inclusion Museum at the University of Gdańsk, received the statuette from 2006 Amber Man of the Year Jan Wiszniewski. Wojciech Kalandyk, chairman of the jury and 2004 Amber Man of the Year, speaking of the laureate, called her a „person of amber” and emphasized her ability to tell about amber in a way that appeals to emotions in an exceptional way. And although the statuette and the title are a thank you for her immense contribution to the promotion of amber, it was she who thanked for being able to join such a distinguished group of Amber Men of the Year. „My dream of amber came true thanks to you. First of all, thanks to Professor Szadziewski, who showed me the first amber beetle, and that’s how it all started” she said. „Thanks to Ewa Rachoń and the fairs where I saw what amber can be. For me, it was ugly and I didn’t like it. (…) I only realized that it can be beautiful here.” And thanks to Wojtek Kalandykow, who brought 50 kilos of amber with inclusions to the museum (…). And thanks to Professor Kosmowska-Ceranowicz and Professor Kotei – the list is long and I could thank them all morning.”
In the photo from left: Wojciech Kalandyk (Bursztynnik of the Year 2004), Kazimieras Mizgiris (Bursztynnik of the Year 2001), Wiesław Gierłowski (Bursztynnik of the Century) and Elżbieta Sontag (Bursztynnik of the Year 2007). Photo by Michał Kosior