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On archaeology during Łambinowice Museum Meetings – a report
This year, the cycle “Łambinowice Museum Meetings” is uniquely complemented with a special summer project dedicated to archaeology at the Site of National Remembrance. The first meeting was held on 2 July. It was run by Dr Dawid Kobiałka and Marek Michalski.
The meeting, being the first of the two planned for this summer, attracted a good number of enthusiasts of history and secrets of the past. It provided an excellent occasion to get familiar with the world of archaeology of modern times, which – as it was emphasized – plays the key role in understanding historical and social contexts connected with the work of archaeologists in sites of remembrance.
The central point of the meeting was a presentation of the results of the last year’s research works conducted at the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice by the team of archaeologists led by Dr Dawid Kobiałka. That research focused on verifying the hypothesis of the presence in the grounds of the Old POW Cemetery of a burial plot containing graves of 60 Italian soldiers who died at Stalag 344 Lamsdorf towards the end of World War 2. The speakers outlined the methodology of the works which included queries carried out in archives, analysis of aerial photographs and intensive excavation works. Moreover, a good number of other problems were raised upon questions from the participating visitors who were interested, among others, in such issues as: motivations while choosing the profession of an archaeologist, details relating to search for unmarked graves dating from the times of wars, planned forms of commemorating the discovered burial sites.
All the participants of the meeting agreed that the conducted research has not only a scientific character, but holds a profound humanistic value: discovering and identifying graves of victims of war is an important mission that restores the dead to the collective memory, helps understand tragic history and, in itself, makes an expression of respect to those who have stayed in Lamsdorf forever.
The next meeting with the archaeologists will take place on 18 July.
