Bartosze: Beaver Reserve and the History of War Graves
Accommodation in Bartosze
Bartosze brings together a protected wetland and the layered history of its war cemeteries. The European beaver lives on the shore of Lake Szarek, while the history of the war cemetery dates back to the First World War. The natural environment and historical remembrance offer different points of interest for a visit.
The Municipal Cemetery No. 3, Bartosze near Ełk
Photo: 1957birth via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Beavers and wetlands
The „Ostoja bobrów Bartosze“ nature reserve is located in Bartosze. It protects the European beaver, which lives in the marshy terrain on the shore of Lake Szarek. The „Bartosze“ nature reserve covers 190.46 hectares and serves to preserve and protect ecological processes in wetlands. Beavers, marshland habitat and conservation efforts are therefore part of a connected natural theme. For travellers interested in wetland landscapes, this offers a direct connection to the landscape of Bartosze.
War cemetery: layout and design
A central place of remembrance is the German military cemetery in Bartossen (Bartosze). It was established through the cooperation of the Polish Pamięć Foundation and the German War Graves Commission in Kassel, and was inaugurated on 9 August 2003. Around 20,000 people who died in the Second World War are buried there. The site is on a plateau, covers about five hectares and can be reached by a staircase. Groups of symbolic crosses mark the burial plots of those who died in this war. A rest area by the access road offers a view of three large wooden crosses visible from afar. The enclosure, built of natural stone, draws on the architecture of East Prussia. The cemetery’s history, its layout and the design of its enclosure are all central features.
An older cemetery as the starting point
The history of the war cemetery in Bartosze reaches further back. Its starting point was a small First World War cemetery known as „Golgota Prus Wschodnich“. The war cemetery is the resting place of 84 German soldiers from the First World War. The first people buried there had taken part in the so-called Winter Battle of Masuria in February 1915. Three large crosses, visible from afar, on the First World War cemetery define the entire site. The historical perspective thus spans the burials from the First World War and the site for those who died in the Second World War, inaugurated on 9 August 2003. The death tolls differ considerably: 84 German soldiers from the First World War compared with around 20,000 people who died in the Second World War.
Nature or history as the main focus
When choosing a holiday destination, these themes can be weighed against each other: the nature reserve represents beavers and wetland processes, while the war cemeteries represent two distinct historical periods. If you are looking for a holiday apartment in Bartosze, you can decide whether nature or history should play a greater role in your stay.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Sikory Juskie, Guty Rożyńskie, Nowa Wieś Ełcka, Bogusze, Zdunki, Straduny, Woszczele, Regiel.
To the overview of the wider area: Lyck.
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