Skrwilno is a village in

Rypin County __NOTOC__ Rypin County ( pl, powiat rypiński) is a unit of territorial administration and local government (powiat) in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, north-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local go ...

Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, also known as Cuiavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship or simply Kujawsko-Pomorskie, or Kujawy-Pomerania Province ( pl, województwo kujawsko-pomorskie ) is one of the 16 voivodeships (provinces) into which Poland is divide ...

, in north-central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Skrwilno. It lies approximately south-east of

Rypin Rypin (german: Rippin) is a town in north-central Poland, in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, about 50 km east of Toruń. It is the capital of Rypin County. Population is 16,950 (2009). History Rypin was founded in the Middle Ages, and ...

and east of

Toruń )'' , image_skyline = , image_caption = , image_flag = POL Toruń flag.svg , image_shield = POL Toruń COA.svg , nickname = City of Angels, Gingerbread city, Copernicus Town , pushpin_map = Kuyavian-Pom ...

. The village has an approximate population of 1,700.

History

Skrwilno dates back to the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, when it was a Polish stronghold. The stronghold was probably built by first historic Polish ruler Mieszko I in the 10th century. During the Swedish invasion of Poland, in 1658, the Swedes murdered the local Polish priest Walerian Cząpski.Kostanecki, p. 33 During the

occupation of Poland Occupation commonly refers to: * Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role in society, often a regular activity performed for payment *Occupation (protest), political demonstration by holding public or symbolic spaces *Military occupation, t ...

(

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 opposing ...

), Skrwilno was the site of large massacres of

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 C ...

from the region, including the towns of

, Wąbrzeźno,

Brodnica Brodnica (german: Strasburg in Westpreußen or Strasburg an der Drewenz) is a town in northern Poland with 28,574 inhabitants . It is the seat of Brodnica County in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. The nearby Brodnica Landscape Park, a pro ...

and the village of Skrwilno itself, perpetrated by the Germans between October 15 and November 15, 1939 (see ''

Nazi crimes against the Polish nation Crimes against the Polish nation committed by Nazi Germany and Axis collaborationist forces during the invasion of Poland, along with auxiliary battalions during the subsequent occupation of Poland in World War II, consisted of the murder of ...

''). Also Poles murdered in Rypin were buried in the village. Several local teachers were also among Polish teachers from the county deceitfully gathered at a supposed formal meeting in Rypin and massacred there in November 1939. In 1944, the Germans burned the bodies of the victims in attempt to cover up the massacre in Skrwilno. The Germans also destroyed the historic palace. In 1961, a collection of gold and silver

tableware Tableware is any dish or dishware used for setting a table, serving food, and dining. It includes cutlery, glassware, serving dishes, and other items for practical as well as decorative purposes. The quality, nature, variety and number of o ...

, jewelry and pearls from the 16th and 17th century, was found at the medieval stronghold.Kostanecki, p. 32 Named the , it is considered one of the most valuable treasures found in Poland in the 20th century. The treasure belonged to Polish noblewoman Zofia Piwowa, who probably buried it during the Swedish invasion of Poland around 1655. It is displayed at the

District Museum in Toruń Toruń Regional Museum ( pl, Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu), located in the ''Ratusz'' hall of Toruń, is one of the oldest and largest museums in Poland. It started in 1594 as the mere Cabinet of Curiosities at the library of the academic Gimnazjum ...

Notable people

* (1862–1944), Polish landowner, nobleman, collector and patron of art

References

{{Authority control Villages in Rypin County Massacres of Poles Nazi war crimes in Poland Treasure troves of Poland