The recently discovered human skeletons in the area of the Polish cannon position at Westerplatte most likely belonged to civilian prisoners of war from the German camp who were executed. There are many indications that two of them were related. Now their remains will be examined by anthropologists, forensic doctors and geneticists as part of the investigation conducted by the IPN prosecutor.
Let us remind you that at the end of July, archaeologists who have been carrying out excavations at Westerplatte since May discovered the exact location of the Polish gun position field, so-called putiłówka. While defense of Westerplattein September 1939 it attacked German positions in Nowy Port.
A “putiłówka” site discovered on WesterplatteTVN24
According to archival sources, the site consisted of two wooden and earth shelters and the so-called the turntable, i.e. the place from which the firing was conducted.
A few days ago The Institute of National Remembrance informedthat on September 22, in the remains of one of the shelters, researchers from the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk found three complete human skeletons.
The remains were lying in an anatomical position, on their stomachs, facing the ground. Remnants of clothes have been preserved: leather, civilian shoes and remains of trousers. Remains of suspenders holding the trousers were visible on two skeletons, and on the third – a leather belt. Next to the bodies there were also fragments of artillery shells.
The secured skeletons were subjected to preliminary anthropological examination and then transported to the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin. Detailed analyzes will be carried out there. Based on these tests, the prosecutor will conduct an investigation to determine how and under what circumstances these people died, who the perpetrator was and who the victims were.
Sweatshirt and chestnut are clues?
– Preliminary findings with the participation of an anthropologist show that these people were murdered in the place where they were discovered. Most likely, these people were herded into a partially demolished shelter, which, as a ready-made pit, was chosen as the place of execution and burying the bodies – said Filip Kuczma, head of the Archaeological Department of the Second World War.
Two of the murdered could have been relatedWWII
He said that the murdered were men aged between 25 and 55. Specific anomalies in the bone structure noticed by the anthropologist may indicate that two of them may be related.
– An injury is visible on the shoulder blade of one of the deceased, initially determined to be a probable bullet wound – the shooter was positioned higher than the kneeling or sitting victim. The shot came from behind. The skulls of the other two victims were shattered, but only after their reconstruction and in-depth analysis will it be possible to determine whether these are also traces of gunshots or, for example, blows with a blunt instrument, Kuczma added.
Next to one of the skeletons, archaeologists discovered another, third shell from ammunition used in Mauser rifles, produced in 1922. Mechanoscopic tests will allow to determine whether the shots were fired from a single weapon.
Fragments of fabrics, shirt buttons, glasses in cases, pencils and a comb were also discovered at the burial site.
Archaeologists discovered numerous artifacts next to the skeletonsWWII
– An interesting find was the remains of a leather element of the cap, the so-called potnik, with the inscription Bydgoszcz embossed. This is an argument supporting our hypothesis that the people found were Polish citizens – prisoners of the German camp for the so-called civilian prisoners of war, which operated at Westerplatte from September 1939 to June 1941. We found a well-preserved chestnut tree directly under one of the skeletons, which may mean that the execution of these people took place in the fall of 1939 or 1940 – explained the archaeologist.
It cannot be ruled out that there are more underneath the discovered remains. Archaeologists will also check whether there are any further remains of the shelter structure in the lower layers of the earth.
They died with a chance for a decent burial
As emphasized by Mateusz Jasik, Deputy Director of the Museum of the Second World War for Popularization, if the initial identification of human remains and the most probable context of their death are confirmed in the course of further research, it will enable “a dignified burial of people who were most likely civilian victims of German crimes.”
– [Ponadto – przyp. red.] will complement knowledge about the history of the peninsula, significantly influencing the state of historical research. After all, it is our obligation to ensure that visitors to the future main exhibition of the Westerplatte Museum learn that the peninsula was not only a place of heroic struggle by Polish soldiers, but also a place of German crimes against civilians, said Jasik.
Main photo source: WWII