Research on Kolegiacki Square in Poznań (St. Mary Magdalene Parish Collegiate Church)

Abstract

An interdisciplinary archaeological study of St. Mary Magdalene parish collegiate church, the largest in the city of Poznań, the adjacent cemetery, and the building development after these were decommissioned (the New Market, the municipal bathhouse, the fire basin from World War II, the lawn (with flower beds), and the car park) was carried out between 2016 and 2021 in Kolegiacki Square. This was the largest archaeological project carried out to date in the Old Town. In addition to architectural foundations, the result of this project is thousands of graves with enormous significance for not only the history of the former church, but also for Poznań and Poland. To some extent, this is confirmed by the European character of some funerary findings, including the so-called pearl mob cap and devotional items in graves, crypts, and ossuaries. In the temple walls and chapels, representatives of distinguished families and members of guilds found their resting place; epitaph stones and ceremonial tombstones were placed here.