During earthworks in Kamień Pomorski (West Pomeranian Voivodeship), the foundation of a Dominican monastery building was found. Four coins and fragments of pottery were also found.
The discovery was made during earthworks at Okrzei Street in Kamień Pomorski. At some point, the foundation of the southern wall of the building of the so-called Dominican monastery was found. dormitory, i.e. the monks’ residential building.
“After over 400 years, the walls of the monastery will see the light of day again,” the Museum of the History of the Kamień Land wrote on social media. During the work, four coins dating back to the 17th-19th centuries and fragments of pottery were also discovered. All artifacts will now be documented and described.
A historic discovery in the city center
– The place where this discovery was made is special to the city. In the Middle Ages, there was a Dominican monastery here. It was the oldest monastery of this order on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea, even older than the monastery in Gdańsk. Dominicans they settled in this place in 1227 and stayed here until 1534 – describes Grzegorz Kurka, director of the Museum of the History of the Kamień Land.
The discovered coins date back to the 17th-19th centuriesMuseum of the History of the Kamień Land
In 1534, the Pomeranian princes adopted Protestantism as the state religion. The activity of the Dominicans ended.
– The buildings were slowly being destroyed. After some time, at the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, the building caught fire and all the relics that remained of the Dominicans were erased. Due to the resulting ruins, before the war this place was called Aschenberg Hill, i.e. Ash Hill. After the war, the Poles who lived in the area had no idea that there was a monastery here, so it was forgotten. It was only in 2004 that an accidental discovery occurred and the memory of the monks and the building was restored, Kurka reports.
After the first discovery in 2004, the provincial conservator of monuments entered the entire area where the discovery was made into the register of monuments.
The discovery took place at Okrzei StreetMuseum of the History of the Kamień Land
What next with the discovered foundations?
– Now every investment carried out here must be carried out under the supervision of an archaeologist. Everything will now be properly documented, inventoried, geodetic measurements will be made, an architectural opinion will be made and a report will be prepared to the provincial conservator of monuments, and the discovered relics will be buried and will remain in the ground for future generations – says the museum director. And he adds: – That’s just the way it is done. Everything currently runs along a public road, so it would be difficult to display anything on the road. The historical value will not be destroyed, the relics will simply remain in the ground.
Main photo source: Museum of the History of the Kamień Land