"Rycerskie Prusice" - residents learn about the history of the city

In the Prusice commune, a project is being carried out to bring residents closer to the beginnings of the city's history and culture. Residents have joined in on the implementation.

The founder of the city of Prusice is considered to be Zbylut, a knight and judge at the court of the princes of Wrocław in the years around 1245-1265. Zbylut, a trusted knight of Duke Henry III the White, was supposed to have founded the city on his orders, which was a strategic point on the then turbulent Silesian-Greater Poland border. From the beginning, it was a private city, part of the income from which was to allow Zbylut and his heirs to maintain a team of armed knights to protect the hinterland of Wrocław. Prusice remained in the hands of Zbylut's heirs for one century, i.e. until around 1350. Later, the city was partly or completely owned by other knightly families.

Unfortunately, we have little information about this oldest part of Prusice's history and many questions remain open. For example, where was the "lord's seat" located and what did it look like, i.e. the prince's manor or castle, built on the prince's orders? And where did the knight Zbylut live with his family? Are there legendary underground passages between the town hall and the church of St. James? How did the city manage access to water, needed both for drinking and for defensive purposes (the city moat around the walls)? And so on and so forth...

These and many other questions relating to the first years of the city's existence and its knightly beginnings were to be answered by the project, which we called "Rycerskie Prusice 2024". When implementing it, we wanted it to be more than just a scientific project. It was also to be open to the cognitive needs of the local community and allow for the exploration of the beginnings of the history and culture of the city of Prusice.

Archaeological research would take years and the entire old town of Prusice would have to be dug up to "find" anything! That is why we decided to conduct preliminary research using the so-called non-invasive method, i.e. not requiring archaeological excavations. They were carried out using a special radar (GPR), a device that "sees" and locates almost everything that is under the surface of the earth. Later, excavations can be carried out in specific places and the finds can be precisely documented. Such research was carried out in May 2024 in the oldest part of the city: in the market square, part of the square by the church of St. James and in the courtyard of the former Piast castle at 11 Czerwonego Krzyża Street (its remains are the courtyard by the current residential building). The GPR research was carried out by Prof. Fabian Welc from Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, with the participation of volunteers from Prusice, Robert and Jakub Burzyński.

Field measurement work within the old town of Prusice and the processing of the collected data were carried out between May 6 and October 31, 2024. The project was organized by the Mundus Foundation and the Municipal Cultural and Sports Center in Prusice, while the entire project was under the patronage of the Mayor of the Prusice Commune – Igor Bandrowicz.

The project was open to the residents of Prusice. During the GPR measurement work, the residents could familiarize themselves with this technique and even take part in the measurements as volunteer assistants. The Mundus Foundation provided direct supervision of the work.

The organizers are very pleased that the following Prussian companies have actively joined the project: Bank Spółdzielczy, BMW-Części Balon, Farmutil, GHP, Gospodarstwo Rolne Marcisz, Ice-Art, Osrodek Kształcenia Kierowców - Julita Lasek, Prus-Pol, Zakład Przetwórstwa Mięsnego-Pałys and Związek Gmin Bychowo. Thanks to their help, the implementation of the project is easier.

The project will be summed up by the Prusicki Historical Festival, which is currently being prepared.

Renata Faron-Bartels