Ziemia Chełmińska przed Krzyżakami: Osieczek, Napole, Bobrowo i Kałdus

📜 List: 0:00 - 2:13 - Osieczek 2:14 - 4:08 - Napole (Ostrowite) 4:09 - 6:11 - Bobrowo 6:12 - 8:16 - Kałdus 📜 history: Osieczek: The stronghold in Osieczek was founded in the first half of the 12th century. Its founder is unknown - it may have been a princely investment (Bolesław The Wrymouth), and the structure itself was built to defend northern Kuyavia and Mazovia against Prussian invasions. The single-story structure was erected on the southwestern shore of Lake Wielkie. It had a circular shape, with a diameter of approximately 85 meters, and the total area of ​​the complex was approximately 60 ares. The rampart was a wood-and-earth structure reinforced with wattle and daub. A moat protected access to the stronghold from the west. Archaeological research also determined that, due to the clay soil, the stronghold's courtyard was paved with stone pavement. In a document issued by duke Konrad of Masovia in 1222 in the town of 'Lonyz', the settlement in Osieczek is already mentioned as one of 'the former strongholds'. Napole (Ostrowite): This single-segment stronghold on the northern shore of Lake Oszczywilk was built in the second half of the 10th century, on a site where an open Slavic settlement had existed as early as the 9th century. Interestingly, archaeological research has determined that this location was also inhabited and used in prehistoric times (by the so-called Lusatian culture). The Slavic stronghold took on an oval shape, measuring approximately 110 meters by 80 meters. The total area of ​​the site is approximately 75 ares. The height of the ramparts relative to the lake water level is 18-24 meters. An additional arched rampart is located on the eastern side of the main part of the site - this is a trace of the access road to the stronghold. As a result of conquest, the site fell under the rule of the first Piast dynasty at the turn of the 11th century. At the same time, a settlement developed on the western side of the site. In the 1220s, the stronghold was completely destroyed during one of the Prussian invasions. As a result of administrative changes, the stronghold is now located within the boundaries of the village of Napole. Bobrowo: The stronghold on the peninsula above Lake Oleczno was built in the second half of the 10th century, on a site where an open Slavic settlement had existed as early as the 9th century. This second phase of settlement saw the construction of a single-story structure in the shape of an irregular, elongated oval, measuring approximately 100 meters by 70 meters. The total area of ​​the stronghold is approximately 50 ares. The height of the stronghold's ramparts relative to the surrounding terrain is approximately 5-7 meters. The greatest elevation of the rampart occurs in the northern part of the site, reaching approximately 14 meters above the water surface. The second phase of settlement lasted until the early 11th century and likely ended abruptly - archaeological research has uncovered traces of destruction in the form of burning of the wooden structures. A raid (Prussian?) may have been the reason for the castle's abandonment. The structure was used again in the 12th century (the third phase of settlement). Layers dating from this time contain traces of destruction, including burning and charcoal, which are associated with the remains of the internal structures. The structure was once again abandoned - perhaps again due to the raid - and was never inhabited again. Kałdus: This site was already inhabited in ancient times by the so-called Lusatian culture. Interestingly, archaeologists discovered two skeletal burials of children from this period in the central part of the stronghold. Cremation was a common burial practice during the Iron Age, suggesting that these were victims of religious or magical practices unknown today. The Slavic stronghold in Kałdus was founded in the 7th-8th centuries. Its strategic and political significance stemmed from its convenient location at the intersection of two major trade routes: the Vistula and the Ruthenian-Baltic (bypassing the Prussian border). In the first half of the 11th century, the center of political power of Bolesław I the Brave and Mieszko II operated here, consisting of a stronghold with a defensive rampart, a settlement outside the stronghold, a rural settlement, and a cemetery. Construction of a three-nave church with three apses began at this time. The church was built on the site of a previous stone sacrificial pyre - a site of pagan worship. Ultimately, the temple was left unfinished; walls were erected to a height of approximately one meter, after which construction was abandoned. This was likely caused by popular unrest between 1034 and 1038 (the so-called 'pagan reaction'). In later years, the stronghold lost much of its importance, primarily due to the weakening of the ducal authority and the significant Prussian threat. In the 1220s, the building was destroyed during a Prussian invasion.