Dąbków: Village History and Places of Remembrance
Accommodation in Dąbków
Dąbków brings together a rich local history and visible places of remembrance. The former Protestant church, a cemetery with mature trees and two memorials tell of different periods and experiences. The Yellow Route also passes through the village. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Dąbków, this combination offers a practical reason to get to know the place not merely as a name on the map, but through its history and the route.
From Felsendorf to Dąbków
Dąbków was founded in 1783 as a German settlement named Felsendorf, as part of the Josephine colonisation. The village’s present name commemorates General Stanisław Dąbek, who lived in Dąbków. At the residents’ request, Felsendorf was renamed Dąbków in his honour in 1949. The settlement’s founding and its later renaming therefore belong to two different chapters of local history: the name Felsendorf refers to the period when it was established, while Dąbków reflects the residents’ decision after the Second World War.
This history is reflected in more than just the succession of names. The general is also commemorated by an obelisk unveiled and consecrated in Dąbków on 26 October 2014. It commemorates Stanisław Dąbek and residents of Dąbków and Opaka who lost their lives during the Second World War and in the killings by Ukrainian nationalists of the OUN-UPA between 1944 and 1947. The memorial thus honours people from both villages and refers to these explicitly named historical events.
Church and Yellow Route
The former Protestant church was built in 1886 and is now used as a Roman Catholic branch church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It remained unchanged until 2011, after which it was extended. It is described as the second-oldest brick church in Lubaczów Municipality. Its history therefore encompasses its former Protestant use, its present Catholic affiliation and a structural alteration after 2011.
The church is on the main road through Dąbków. The road follows the former route between Lubaczów, Wielkie Oczy and Jaworów. The Yellow Route offers another way to find your bearings: it starts at the town square in Lubaczów and reaches Dąbków after 3 km. In Dąbków, the route passes the former Protestant church, built in 1886. Those interested in local history will therefore find, alongside the places of remembrance, a specific connection to the route, which is not limited to the church alone.
Memorials, school and chapel
A cross between the church and the school commemorates young people who fell in the Polish-Ukrainian fighting at the end of 1918. It was erected in 1920. The obelisk and the cross refer to different events and dates: the cross commemorates those killed in the fighting at the end of 1918, while the obelisk commemorates General Dąbek and the victims of the years 1944 to 1947. Together, the two memorials show how different chapters of history remain present in Dąbków through acts of remembrance.
The former denominational school building was built towards the end of the 19th century. Opposite it, on private property, stands a historic chapel containing figures of Saint Joseph and the Mother of God. It was probably built in 1886 by Protestants during the construction of the church. The school and chapel thus complement the church and memorials with further places associated with the village’s former religious and community life.
The former Protestant cemetery
The former Protestant cemetery lies about 300 m from the church. Only a few tombstones remain, while several impressive old trees also stand there. The cemetery, tombstones and mature trees are collectively listed in the heritage register under number A-1595, dated 15.02.2019. The surviving tombstones and trees make the site recognisable as a historic cemetery; its approximate distance from the church also provides a practical sense of its location within Dąbków.
For the wider travel overview: Gmina Lubaczów.
