An extraordinary discovery. Is this Westerplatte defender Mieczysław Krzak?

At some point, a human bone appeared. At this point, we stopped the work and started manual exploration, says Filip Kuczma to RMF FM reporter Stanisław Pawłowski.

During this manual exploration, it turned out that we were dealing with a human skeleton and with this skeleton we found objects that may indicate with a high degree of probability that it is a Polish soldier whom we have been looking for in this area for 5 years - adds the archaeologist.

The discovery occurred on Thursday, November 5, during archaeological supervision of earthworks related to the construction of the Westerplatte Museum. The remains were located about two and a half meters underground, right next to the wall of the former "Fort" defense facility. This place is not accidental. The shelter, built in 1911, in September 1939 was one of the important points of the Polish defense of Westerplatte.

Bayonet from Radom and Polish military buttons

Work on the discovered remains is still ongoing. Archaeologists carefully remove the soil and document the location of each item found. So far, three Polish buttons with a military eagle have been found. Buttons, interestingly, of a pattern that was in use in the 1920s, an older model of buttons than pattern 28, the most popular on Polish uniforms in 1939 - explains Filip Kuczma. But that's not all. A bayonet for a Mauser rifle, manufactured in Poland, was also found near the skeleton. Bayonet of Polish production, from Radom. There is a visible feature where it is written "Radom". Bayonet model 1929, in a scabbard, with the remains of a leather frog that was used to attach the bayonet to the belt - describes the archaeologist. As he points out, the bayonet itself would not determine the soldier's nationality. Polish weapons could also have been used by the Germans during the fighting in 1945. What is important, however, is that more items related to the Polish army were found. The accumulation of Polish items already indicates that this is not a coincidence. We also found metal parts for the carrying belt of the Polish haversack, so we find more and more of these items as we dig deeper into the ground near the remains, emphasizes Kuczma.

Is this Mieczysław Krzak?

Archaeologists believe that the discovered skeleton may belong to legionnaire Mieczysław Krzak, one of the Polish soldiers who died during the defense of Westerplatte. According to post-war accounts by other defenders, Krzak was killed near the "Fort" outpost, most likely on the night of September 2, 1939. Most of these reports included the fact that he died on the outskirts of the "Fort" outpost. There was even a quite precise indication of the place. 50 meters from this facility to the northeast. We have been researching this area very carefully for 5 years - says the head of the Archaeological Department of the Second World War. One hypothesis assumes that the soldier's body was moved after some time from the place of his death and buried elsewhere. This was most likely done by the Germans. In fact, you can't even say that it was a burial, but simply a hiding of the corpses - he explains. However, the archaeologist emphasizes that both the circumstances of finding the remains and the discovered objects allow only a hypothesis to be formulated for now. This is only a hypothesis, supported by strong evidence, but only genetic tests of these remains and comparison of them with the genetic material obtained from the families can be decisive in this matter - he emphasizes.

"Archaeology is a destructive method." Why does the work take so long?

Archaeologists carefully reveal the skeleton and secure all found items. As Filip Kuczma emphasizes, you cannot simply extract bones from the ground, because this could mean the irreversible loss of important information. Here you need to be patient. Archeology is a destructive method, so if we do not document the evidence recorded in the ground, but simply dig up the area and pull out the bones, we will have no information - he explains. Investigators and archaeologists want not only to determine the identity of the soldier, but also to answer the question of how his remains ended up in this place. The prosecutor of the Gdańsk branch of the Institute of National Remembrance and the Pomeranian Provincial Conservator of Monuments have already been notified about the discovery. Further tests, including genetic analyses, will help confirm the identity of the deceased.

Archaeologists want to find all the fallen defenders

If the research confirms the assumptions, it will be the tenth defender of Westerplatte discovered during the work of museum archaeologists. In 2019, the remains of nine Polish soldiers were discovered. Seven of them have already been identified thanks to genetic tests. This is what we founded in 2016. We would like to ensure that all Westerplatte residents are buried at the New Cemetery in Westerplatte, says Kuczma. Historical findings show that three other fallen soldiers could have been buried by the Germans in the cemetery in Zaspa, Gdańsk. If the current discovery really concerns Mieczysław Krzak, the remains of two more defenders could remain to be found at Westerplatte. The Head of the Archaeological Department emphasizes that the search should not end as long as there is a chance to find more of the fallen. We cannot allow the search for people who died so that we can speak and think in Polish to be interrupted in any way. We should create a situation in which at least all those who rested here, on this battlefield for over 80 years, found a place of decent burial - he adds. Places have already been prepared for all fifteen defenders at the New Cemetery in Westerplatte.