More secrets of the past in the Wdecki Landscape Park

The research team of the Wdecki Landscape Park has once again uncovered traces of the region’s rich history in the Tuchola Forest. While documenting the cultural heritage of the park area, they discovered an exceptional site that reflects the diverse history of the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Region.

In October, near the forest settlement of Grzybek (Osie municipality), along the shores of the Żur Reservoir, the team encountered a solitary grave of a German soldier who died in February 1945 during the battles to liberate Osie from German occupation. In cooperation with the Świecie County Police Headquarters and the District Prosecutor’s Office in Świecie, exhumation work was initiated.

During the exhumation, the site revealed even more secrets tied to the Tuchola Forest’s past. Within the grave, fragments of Neolithic ceramic vessels, approximately 5,000 years old, were uncovered, along with flint tools that date back an astonishing 9,000 years. These tools provide evidence of the earliest human settlements in the region. This discovery marks the oldest traces of human activity found during research conducted by the Wdecki Landscape Park team.

Additionally, near the grave, on the very edge of the reservoir, a collection of 27 coins was discovered. This collection likely belonged to one of the German soldiers who fought in the area in February 1945. The location aligns with the combat trail of the 73rd Wehrmacht Division, whose soldiers were stationed in the vicinity. Among the coins were pieces from the Roman Empire, Imperial Russia, Napoleon III’s France, and Polish złotys from the Second Polish Republic. However, the most intriguing coin in the collection is a follis of the Byzantine Emperor Basil II, known as the “Bulgar Slayer,” dated to the late 10^th and early 11^th centuries.

This is not the first significant historical discovery in the Wdecki Landscape Park. In 2017, remnants of a Gothic settlement from the 4^th century were found near the Osie Nature Reserve.

Wdecki Landscape Park
Press Office of the Marshal’s Office

December 6, 2024