Rataje is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in the administrative district of

Gmina Łobżenica __NOTOC__ Gmina Łobżenica is an urban-rural gmina (administrative district) in Piła County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. Its seat is the town of Łobżenica, which lies approximately east of Piła and north of the region ...

, within Piła County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. The landmark Basilica and Sanctuary of the Immaculate Conception of Mary and Monastery of the Missionaries of the Holy Family is located in Górka Klasztorna in the northern outskirts of the village. It is a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

site.

History

During the

German occupation of Poland German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

(

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

), the monastery in Górka Klasztorna was the site of a massacre of over 120

Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...

from nearby towns and villages, perpetrated by the Germans in 1939 as part of the '' Intelligenzaktion''. The victims were either shot in the back of the head or shot with a machine gun while lying on the ground.

References

Villages in Piła County {{Piła-geo-stub