Józef Kostrzewski
Encyclopedia
Józef Kostrzewski was a Polish
archaeologist
.
Kostrzewski was born in Węglewo
(now in Poznań County
). He studied first in Kraków
, then from 1910 onwards with Gustaf Kossinna
at Berlin
and graduated in 1914. Back in Poland, he was to turn Kossinna's settlement-archaeological method ("siedlungsarchäologische Methode") against its creator and to try to prove a Slavonic
autochthonism in Poland from at least the Bronze Age
(Lusatian culture
) onwards.
Kostrzewski became professor of prehistory at the newly founded University of Poznań in 1919, and from 1934 conducted the excavation of the Iron Age
settlement of Biskupin
, which he continued after the war.
After 1918, Kostrzewski became involved in bitter polemics about the ethnic ascription of the Lusatian
and Pomeranian culture
s with the German archaeologist Bolko von Richthofen
.
During the German occupation of Poland during World War II
, Polish universities and museums were closed, the finds were often transported to Germany, and many scholars were arrested, tortured and detained, or murdered. Kostrzewski hid from the Gestapo
during the war, but returned to his Poznań chair in 1945. He died in Poznań.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
.
Kostrzewski was born in Węglewo
Weglewo, Poznan County
Węglewo is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Pobiedziska, within Poznań County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, in west-central Poland. It lies approximately east of Pobiedziska and north-east of the regional capital Poznań....
(now in Poznań County
Poznan County
Poznań County is a unit of territorial administration and local government in Greater Poland Voivodeship, west-central Poland. It came into being on January 1, 1999, as a result of the Polish local government reforms passed in 1998. Its administrative seat is the city of Poznań, although the city...
). He studied first in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, then from 1910 onwards with Gustaf Kossinna
Gustaf Kossinna
Gustaf Kossinna was a linguist and professor of German archaeology at the University of Berlin...
at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and graduated in 1914. Back in Poland, he was to turn Kossinna's settlement-archaeological method ("siedlungsarchäologische Methode") against its creator and to try to prove a Slavonic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
autochthonism in Poland from at least the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(Lusatian culture
Lusatian culture
The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age in most of today's Poland, parts of Czech Republic and Slovakia, parts of eastern Germany and parts of Ukraine...
) onwards.
Kostrzewski became professor of prehistory at the newly founded University of Poznań in 1919, and from 1934 conducted the excavation of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
settlement of Biskupin
Biskupin
The archaeological open air museum Biskupin is an archaeological site and a life-size model of an Iron Age fortified settlement in north-central Poland . When first discovered it was thought to be early evidence of Slavic settlement but archaeologists later confirmed it belonged to the Biskupin...
, which he continued after the war.
After 1918, Kostrzewski became involved in bitter polemics about the ethnic ascription of the Lusatian
Lusatian culture
The Lusatian culture existed in the later Bronze Age and early Iron Age in most of today's Poland, parts of Czech Republic and Slovakia, parts of eastern Germany and parts of Ukraine...
and Pomeranian culture
Pomeranian culture
The Pomeranian culture, also Pomeranian or Pomerelian Face Urn culture was an Iron Age culture in Pomerania, northern Poland. About 650 BC, it evolved from the Lusatian culture, often associated with the Nordic Bronze Age, and subsequently expanded southward...
s with the German archaeologist Bolko von Richthofen
Bolko von Richthofen
Bolko von Richthofen was a German archaeologist and a distant relative of the family of Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron"...
.
During the German occupation of Poland during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Polish universities and museums were closed, the finds were often transported to Germany, and many scholars were arrested, tortured and detained, or murdered. Kostrzewski hid from the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
during the war, but returned to his Poznań chair in 1945. He died in Poznań.
Publications
- Gród prasłowiański w Biskupine w powiecie żnińskim (Poznań 1938).
- Kultura prapolska (1947)
- with W. Chmielelewski and K. JażdżewskiKonrad JazdzewskiKonrad Jażdżewski was a Polish professor of archeology, doctor honoris causa at the University of Łódź. He was the first to conduct excavations at Brześć Kujawski.- Publications :...
, Pradzieje Polski (Wrocław 1965)
Further reading
- J. Lech, Between captivity and freedom: Polish archaeology in the 20th century. Archaeologia PolonaArchaeologia PolonaArchaeologia Polona is an academic journal of archaeology published in English annually since 1958 by the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. The journal focuses on contemporary archeology with particular respect to Poland....
35–36, 1997/98, 25–222, ISBN 00665924