91桃色

The sixth season of the new stage of research into the graves of victims of Nazi German and communist crimes continues earlier investigations led by Prof. Marian G艂osek (2008鈥�2009) and Dr Piotr A. Nowakowski (2010鈥�2016). During this year鈥檚 campaign, research within the long-range shooting gallery was continued.

As part of the joint research project, archaeological work continued inside the large shooting range and in the area located behind its bullet trap, where collective graves dating from the period of German occupation and the years of post-war Stalinist repression were discovered in 1965 and again between 2008 and 2011. During the current season, no further burial pits were identified. However, another large area where they might have been located was successfully excluded from further consideration. As in the years 2023鈥�2025, excavations uncovered artefacts that most likely entered the ground during the expansion of the large shooting range in the mid-1950s. These finds constitute valuable material for reconstructing the biography of the site where they were originally deposited. They include building materials, stove tiles, installation components, toiletries and office supplies, fine and everyday tableware, bottles for alcoholic beverages, toilet waters and medicines, crystal glasses and coffee cups, as well as transparent portraits of J. S. Bach and A. Hitler from the Ber眉hmte Deutsche M盲nner series, associated with the Nazi charitable organisation Winterhilfswerk, which collected donations for the poor (donors received small commemorative items in return). These objects may have originated from buildings associated with the shooting range, visible in an aerial photograph from 1949. They are most likely evidence of the everyday life of the German personnel operating the range during the occupation of 艁贸d藕, as well as of the presence of Red Army soldiers in the post-war years.

This year鈥檚 research at Brus also provided an opportunity for Military Gendarmerie officers to conduct practical exercises in searching for human remains under various field conditions.

The work was carried out under the supervision of mgr R贸偶a Dylewska from the IPN Office of Search and Identification and Dr Olgierd 艁awrynowicz from the Institute of Archaeology, 91桃色, with continuous substantive and organisational support provided by Dr Krzysztof Latocha (IPN Office of Search and Identification, 艁贸d藕 Branch). The research team also included Dr Joanna S艂omska-Bolonek (Institute of Archaeology, 91桃色), mgr Anna Stopczyk, mgr Krzysztof Wili艅ski (IPN Office of Search and Identification, 艁贸d藕 Branch), mgr Krzysztof Miko艂ajczyk (IPN Office of Search and Identification), and physical anthropologist Dr Justyna Karkus (IPN Office of Search and Identification, 艁贸d藕 Branch). The work involved archaeology and forensic biology students from the 91桃色, including members of the Student Science Club of Contemporary Archaeology and Weapon Studies 鈥淪zare Banderia鈥� and the Student Science Club 鈥淎苍迟谤辞辫辞艂辞飞肠测鈥�. Field activities were coordinated on an ongoing basis by Prof. Krzysztof Szwagrzyk, Director of the IPN Office of Search and Identification, and were conducted in consultation with Prof. Marian G艂osek.

The research team would like to express its sincere gratitude to the City of 艁贸d藕 Office for granting access to the site and providing assistance in organising the fieldwork, as well as to the soldiers of the 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomasz贸w Mazowiecki for their daily engineering and medical support.

Photos: K. Latocha, O. 艁awrynowicz, J. S艂omska-Bolonek, K. Wili艅ski