91ÌÒÉ«

 

The Pomeranian Crime of 1939 

In the first months of World War II, mass executions took place in the pre-war Pomeranian Voivodeship, resulting in the deaths of 20 to 30 thousand people. The number of victims in this region was twice as high as in other areas of pre-war Poland. The victims, including priests, teachers, politicians, merchants, officials, as well as the mentally ill and representatives of the Jewish community, were buried in mass graves in order to erase the traces of the crime.

Dr Dawid KobiaÅ‚ka’s research project attempts to analyse this tragic legacy by using an interdisciplinary approach combining the work of specialists in such fields as archaeology, history, ethnography, physical anthropology, genetics, chemistry, soil and plant analysis, and many others. 

The Germans murdered Polish citizens in approximately 400 towns in the pre-war Pomeranian Voivodeship. The idea of the project was to thoroughly research the past and present heritage of four places related to the Pomeranian Massacre of 1939. Monuments, places of internment, prisoner transport, executions and mass graves were documented and their contemporary role and significance was analysed. Family heirlooms, which, as material carriers of memory, constitute unique testimonies of the past, also constituted an important element of research.  Archaeological, historical and ethnographic approaches complemented, verified and influenced each other in the course of the research work.

The project used forensic archaeology methods, treating mass execution sites as archaeological sites. Finds such as bullets, shell casings, personal belongings of victims and fragments of remains allow for the reconstruction of key aspects of these crimes and their consequences. This research aims not only to document, but also to reflect on how the legacy of these tragic events affects the present day.

It is a unique attempt to combine archaeological data with other sources – historical, visual and material – in order to better understand and commemorate the Pomeranian Massacre of 1939.

Dr Dawid Kobiałka

Dr Dawid KobiaÅ‚ka is an archaeologist and a cultural anthropologist. He is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Archaeology, 91ÌÒÉ«, the project manager who is responsible for the implementation and coordination of all project tasks.

Dr Dawid KobiaÅ‚ka is an originator, an author and a manager of projects on material remains from contemporary armed conflicts financed, among other things, from the funds of the National Science Centre ( [Between memory and oblivion: archaeology and 20th-century military heritage in forested areas]) and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage ("Archeologia Doliny Åšmierci" [Archaeology of the Death Valley], "Straszny swÄ…d spalenizny – archeologiczne badania miejsca kaźni w chojnickiej Dolinie Åšmierci" [The terrible stench of burning – archaeological research on the execution site in the Chojnice Death Valley]). He is an author of articles published in international scientific journals such as: "“Antiquity", "Journal of Contemporary Archeology", "International Journal of Historical Archeology".

He was awarded the gold  at the Pomeranian Congress of National Remembrance on 21 November 2024.

The Reipublicae Memoriae Meritum Medal is used by the Institute of National Remembrance to honour those who work to permanently commemorate events and figures from the history of the Polish Nation in the years 1917–1990 and support the Institute of National Remembrance in its educational, scientific and publishing activities.

Report from the Death Valley in Chojnice

The Communication and PR Centre team of the 91ÌÒÉ« visited with a camera the site of archaeological works at the mass grave of murdered patients of the National Social Welfare Centres in Chojnice in July 2024. During the visit we talked with Dr Dawid KobiaÅ‚ka – the project manager, Dr Tomasz Ceran – a historian, Head of the Historical Research Department Institute of National Remembrance, Branch in Bydgoszcz and the project implementer responsible for historical research, Dr Joanna Rogóż – a physical anthropologist, Laura Muñoz-Encinar from the and – a specialist in the archaeology of contemporary conflicts and forensic anthropology, and prosecutor Tomasz Jankowski from the Branch Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation in GdaÅ„sk.

We had the opportunity to see with our own eyes the skeletons of the victims, which were carefully and systematically described, examined and excavated. We watched closely as Dr Kobiałka's team, with extraordinary accuracy and respect, reconstructed the stories of the victims whose fate and, above all, their resting place remained unknown for decades.

The testimony to this one-day visit is a short report that synthetically shows the enormity of the work carried out by the researchers. The report not only presents the details of the research methodology but also highlights the emotional dimension of the team's work. It is an invitation to reflect on the difficult legacy of the 1939 Pomeranian Crime and a reminder of the duty of remembrance that rests on future generations.

Learn more about the events that took place in Pomerania in 1939.

 (in Polish)

 [Archaeology of Crime. German crimes in the Chojnice Valley of Death] 

Get familiar with selected scientific works on the Pomeranian Crime of 1939

 â€“ World Archaeology 

 â€“ Springer Nature 

The project is financed by the under contract no. UMO-2021/43/D/HS3/00033.

The film uses video materials and photos by Daniel Frymark as well as sources from the collections of the Institute of National Remembrance as well as those collected for the needs of the project.

The portrait photo of Dr Dawid KobiaÅ‚ka was taken by Dr Bartosz KaÅ‚użny (Communications and PR Centre, 91ÌÒÉ«)

Edit: MichaÅ‚ Gruda (Communications and PR Centre, 91ÌÒÉ«) 

The mission of the 91ÌÒÉ« is to conduct reliable research and actively disseminate facts and research results so as to wisely educate future generations, be useful to society and courageously respond to the challenges of the modern world. Scientific excellence is always our best compass. Our values include: courage, curiosity, commitment, cooperation and respect.