Suicides at the End of the Second World War

A Case From Gostków, Poland

Authors

  • Paweł Konczewski Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
  • Katarzyna Martewicz Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
  • Łukasz Orlicki Independent Researcher
  • Jacek Szczurowski Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
  • Radosław Biel Independent Researcher
  • Katarzyna Król Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
  • Barbara Kwiatkowska Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.21212

Keywords:

forensic, community bioarchaeology, Germany, Poland, murder-suicide, World War II

Abstract

This paper presents forensic, bioarchaeological and historical research on eight human skulls discovered during the 2018 restoration of a nineteenth-century pastor’s tomb in the village of Gostków in Poland (which, until 1945, had been Giesmannsdorf in Germany). Local rumours suggested that the tomb had been used as a mass grave at the end of World War II for the remains either of war-crimes victims or of a murder-suicide incident. The research was undertaken at the request of the Fundacja Anna w Gostkowie (Anna Foundation in Gostków), which maintains the cemetery, and confirmed detailed witness accounts that the tomb contained the remains of two related German families in which some individuals had killed the others, including several children, and then themselves. The authors also discuss the phenomenon of suicides under war conditions and the cognitive, social and ethical problems of researching this topic.

Author Biographies

  • Paweł Konczewski, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

    Paweł Konczewski, PhD, is an archaeologist and Assistant Professor at the Division of Anthropology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. He is also a Forensic Archaeologist at the District Court in Wrocław. His scientific interests include historical and contemporary archaeology, forensic archaeology, bioarchaeology and archaeothanatology. Address for correspondence: Institute of Environmental Biology, Chełmońskiego St. 38C, 38D i 38E 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.

  • Katarzyna Martewicz, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

    Katarzyna Martewicz, MSc, is a biological anthropologist and independent researcher. Her scientific interests include paleopathology, forensic facial reconstruction from cranial remains and forensic anthropology.

  • Łukasz Orlicki, Independent Researcher

    Łukasz Orlicki, MSc is a historian and independent researcher. His scientific interests include contemporary history, and the history and archeology of World War II.

  • Jacek Szczurowski, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

    Jacek Szczurowski, PhD, is a biological anthropologist and an Associate Professor at the Division of Anthropology Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. His scientific interests include biological condition of prehistoric and historical human populations. Address for correspondence: Institute of Environmental Biology, Chełmońskiego St. 38C, 38D i 38E 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.

  • Radosław Biel, Independent Researcher

    Radosław Biel, PhD, is an archaeologist and independent researcher. He is editor-in-chief of a popular science magazine, Archeologia Żywa (Living Archaeology). His scientific interests include historical archaeology, implementation of digital techniques in archaeology and popularisation of science. Address for correspondence: Archeologia Żywa, Kaszubska 4, 50-214 Wrocław, Poland.

  • Katarzyna Król, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

    Katarzyna Biernacka, MSc, is a biological anthropologist and Assistant at the Division of Anthropology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. Her scientific interests include primatology, the study of historical populations based on human skeletal materials and forensic anthropology. Address for correspondence: Institute of Environmental Biology, Chełmońskiego St. 38C, 38D i 38E 51-630 Wrocław, Poland.

  • Barbara Kwiatkowska, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

    Barbara Kwiatkowska, PhD, is a biological anthropologist and a Professor at the Division of Anthropology, Institute of Environmental Biology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences. Her scientific interests include the study of historical populations based on human skeletal materials, paleopathology, forensic facial reconstruction from cranial remains, auxology and health promotion of modern populations. Address for correspondence: Institute of Environmental Biology, Chełmońskiego St. 38C, 38D i 38E 51-630 Wrocław, Poland

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Published

2023-04-17

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 2 (2022)

Section

Articles

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© Equinox Publishing Ltd.

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How to Cite

Konczewski, P., Martewicz, K., Orlicki, Łukasz, Szczurowski, J., Biel, R., Król, K., & Kwiatkowska, B. (2023). Suicides at the End of the Second World War: A Case From Gostków, Poland. Journal of Contemporary Archaeology, 9(2), 167-185. https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.21212