The Old Parish Cemetery
The remnants of the centuries-old history of a city, village, or settlement can often be found in a cemetery. Dziećmorowice is a village in Poland with a history dating back to the Middle Ages.
Trials for the Village
Dittmannsdorf was first mentioned in documents from the year 1311. The village barely survived the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648). It’s known that during those times, the territory was deserted.
A mark was left by the First Silesian War (1740–1741). The village became part of Prussia during that time.
World War I… And then, after the Second World War, Dittmannsdorf became part of Poland and received the name «Dziećmorowice».
The Wagner Family Mausoleum
An impressive family tomb is in a pitiful state.
The building was constructed in 1865. Many parts of it are destroyed, so it says little about its former grandeur.
Access to the crypt can be gained through a huge hole that was once covered by a sturdy slab:
Inside the crypt, you can see weathered memorial stones with inscriptions that are no longer decipherable:
There are also two coffins with remains here:
In this atmosphere, someone spends their time cheerfully, consuming cheap alcoholic beverages. What else is there to do? Study the history of the village? There’s nothing left to steal.
The burial vault indeed evokes horror and pity, despite being located on a small hill. The old and new graves seem to bow before the once-mighty mausoleum.
The Old Parish Cemetery
The old section of the cemetery near the Wagner family mausoleum is located on Henryk Sienkiewicz Street. Essentially, there are three necropolises here:
1. The active cemetery near the Parish of Saint John the Apostle.
2. The active cemetery behind the Wagner family mausoleum on Henryk Sienkiewicz St.
3. The cemetery near the mausoleum, which is divided into a modern section and an old one (I will write about this place below).
Former inhabitants of the then-German village found their final rest in this land. Now, it’s a Polish village where new, more stylish burials are gradually encroaching upon the disappearing old ones.
Soon, nothing will be left of the old part of the cemetery. And not ’cause contemporaries are dying rapidly, but ’cause the old section of this necropolis has already begun to be dismantled.
So, just a few years ago, there were dozens of gravestones near the family burial vault, and not far from the historical building, one way or another, there was a ruined statue of an angel.
In mid-August 2023, the old part of this necropolis hardly resembled anything. Curved stone slabs protrude from a rather well-maintained lawn. The angel has flown away, and inscriptions with names and dates have been gathered in one place.
Several dozens of small gravestones and plaques were neatly arranged, as if they were exhibits in a museum.
The cemetery’s «showcase» is located next to a commemorative stone, which bears the inscription in Polish and German:
«In memory of the inhabitants of Dittmannsdorf Dziećmorowice, who found their eternal resting place here».
This is like a forewarning from the brief inscription: «Look back, soon this will no longer be».
And indeed, all that remains is to look in the opposite direction from the monument, where on the ground, meager remnants of a centuries-old history are scattered. Some seem to spring out from under the ground, as if attempting to escape, thus preserving a vast page of the local history. Other graves are making every effort to hide beneath vegetation and the unevenness of the landscape, as if trying to disappear with all the strength of the Earth.
There are several grave markers with names and dates:
Among them is a burial from the 1980s, belonging to Luis and Bruno:
The rest are slowly and faithfully succumbing to oblivion. Just like the fencing of the necropolis, which has obviously been there for many years.
Once, grand funeral processions were organized here, lavish burials were held, and the deceased were remembered with the warmest words. Soon, the elderly residents of this village will sadly reminisce with metaphors, so as not to offend themselves and the local authorities, about the demise of the cemetery where a monument to the deceased residents stands — a pseudo-symbol of respect and memory.
