Archaeologists uncover remains of 1939 Polish soldiers in Poland and Ukraine

Archaeological efforts are uncovering the remains of Polish soldiers from the September 1939 campaign in both Poland and Ukraine.

In Łambinowice, researchers led by Dr. Dawid Kobiałka from the University of Łódź have discovered the remains of three young men at the former Lamsdorf prisoner-of-war camp. This finding follows years of analyzing German archival materials and aerial photography. One soldier showed a bullet wound on a leg bone, suggesting prisoners may have arrived at the camp wounded directly from the front lines. The discovery provides the first confirmed evidence of Polish prisoner burials in this specific area.

Simultaneously, joint exhumation work is underway at the Holoskovsky Cemetery in Lviv, Ukraine. Conducted by the Polish and Ukrainian Institutes of National Remembrance, the project has uncovered the remains of 17 Polish soldiers and seven German soldiers. Officials noted that the chaotic arrangement of the graves suggests they were buried by civilians rather than military personnel. The project aims to identify approximately 120 individuals through DNA testing to ensure they receive dignified burials.