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The state of preservation of medieval street-square village in the landscape of northern Poland

Open Access
|May 2025

Figures & Tables

Figure 1.

Osice. Perspective plan of the street-square village, reconstructed in 1924 based on an 1852 map. Marked central rectangular square (called nawsie) with church building and water reservoirs, surrounded by parallel streets. A clear layout of the large habitat plots with subdivisions that date back to the medieval settlement
Source: O. Kloeppel (1924)
Osice. Perspective plan of the street-square village, reconstructed in 1924 based on an 1852 map. Marked central rectangular square (called nawsie) with church building and water reservoirs, surrounded by parallel streets. A clear layout of the large habitat plots with subdivisions that date back to the medieval settlement Source: O. Kloeppel (1924)

Figure 2.

Distribution of street-square villages in the Vistula Delta and their valorisation score
Source: own study based on QGIS Geographic Information System
Distribution of street-square villages in the Vistula Delta and their valorisation score Source: own study based on QGIS Geographic Information System

Figure 3.

Steblewo, an example of the disappearance of one of the roads surrounding the square. Red arrows indicate the place from which the photo was taken
Source: A – before 1924, O. Kloeppel (1924); B – contemporary, own photo. Maps: own study
Steblewo, an example of the disappearance of one of the roads surrounding the square. Red arrows indicate the place from which the photo was taken Source: A – before 1924, O. Kloeppel (1924); B – contemporary, own photo. Maps: own study

Figure 4.

Examples of the transformation of the central square: A – slowly disappearing road and privatisation of the public square – Nowa Cerkiew; B – introduction of a fire station building next to the water reservoir – Lisewo Malborskie; C – change in the use of the space to a car park – Cedry Wielkie; D – preservation of the former character of the square – Osice
Source: own elaboration
Examples of the transformation of the central square: A – slowly disappearing road and privatisation of the public square – Nowa Cerkiew; B – introduction of a fire station building next to the water reservoir – Lisewo Malborskie; C – change in the use of the space to a car park – Cedry Wielkie; D – preservation of the former character of the square – Osice Source: own elaboration

Figure 5.

An example of the harmonious preservation of village skylines: A – Nowa Cerkiew; B – Lisewo Malborskie. an example of the negative impact of new developments: C – Cedry Wielkie: a large sports hall as a sub-dominant for the historic church tower; D – Kmiecin: contemporary field development, which obscures the historic silhouette of the village
Source: own study
An example of the harmonious preservation of village skylines: A – Nowa Cerkiew; B – Lisewo Malborskie. an example of the negative impact of new developments: C – Cedry Wielkie: a large sports hall as a sub-dominant for the historic church tower; D – Kmiecin: contemporary field development, which obscures the historic silhouette of the village Source: own study

Valorisation of the street-square villages of Vistula Delta in terms of preservation of selected elements of medieval development_ Source: own elaboration based on field surveys 2022–2024

STREET GRIDSOCIAL FUNCTIONS OF SQUARENUMBER OF CHURCHES ON THE SQUARE IN THE PASTCHURCH ON THE SQUARE TODAYWATER ON THE SQUARELAYOUT OF HABITAT PLOTSFARM BUILDINGSHORIZONTAL COMPACTNESSPANORAMA WITH DOMINANTOLD TREES PRESERVEDHISTORICAL CADASTRAL DIVISIONS PRESERVEDTOTAL POINTS
No.LOCATION12 345678910
1.Giemlice11+110.5110.510.58.5
2.Leszkowy0.51+110.50.510.5118
3.Cedry Wielkie11+110.50.500.510.57
4.Osice0.51+110.50.50110.57
5.Myszewo0.50+110.501110.56.5
6.Kmiecin10+10.500.50.5110.56
7.Koszwały11+110.50.500.50.506
8.Lichnowy11+110001106
9.Lisewo Malborskie0.50.5+ +0.510.50.50110.56
10.Miłocin11+0100.50.50.510.56
11.Boręty00.5+ +110010.510.55.5
12.Dębina10.50100.510.5105.5
13.Gnojewo0.50.5+ +11000110.55.5
14.Nowa Cerkiew00+ +0.510.50.50.5110.55.5
15.Steblewo0.50+100.50.50.510.50.55
16.Nidowo0.50010.50.5100.50.54.5
17.Brzózki00010.511000.54
18.Kolnik11+0100.5000.504
19.Lichnówki11010000.50.504
20.Niedźwiedzica10+ +0.5000.50.50.50.514
21.Stara Wisła00010010.500.53
AVERAGE VALUE0.640.520.570.880.260.400.500.640.760.435.62

A list of street-square villages in the Vistula Delta region

NO.NAMEGERMAN NAMEESTABLISHEDCOMMUNEDISTRICTVOIVODSHIP
1.BorętyBarendt1321LichnowyMalborskiPomorskie
2.BrzózkiBröske1313/1361Nowy StawMalborskiPomorskie
3.Cedry WielkieGr. Zunder1350Cedry WielkieGdańskiPomorskie
4.DębinaEichwalde1342/1351Nowy StawMalborskiPomorskie
5.GiemliceGiemlitz1292Cedry WielkieGdańskiPomorskie
6.GnojewoGnojau1338MiłoradzMalborskiPomorskie
7.KmiecinFurstenberg1332Nowy DwórnowodworskiPomorskie
8.KolnikKohling?/1570PszczółkiGdańskiPomorskie
9.KoszwałyGottswalde1334Cedry WielkieGdańskiPomorskie
10.LeszkowyLetzkau1384Cedry WielkieGdańskiPomorskie
11.LichnowyGr. Lichtenau1254/1321LichnowyMalborskiPomorskie
12.LichnówkiKl. Lichtenau1321/1341LichnowyMalborskiPomorskie
13.Lisewo MalborskieLiessau1316LichnowyMalborskiPomorskie
14.MiłocinHerzberg1364Cedry WielkieGdańskiPomorskie
15.MyszewoGr. Mausdorf1332Nowy StawMalborskiPomorskie
16.NidowoNiedau1356Nowy StawMalborskiPomorskie
17.NiedźwiedzicaBärwalde1342StegnanowodworskiPomorskie
18.Nowa CerkiewNeukirche1342/1345OstaszewonowodworskiPomorskie
19.OsiceWossitz1300/1310Suchy DąbGdańskiPomorskie
20.Stara WisłaAlte Wiechsel1338MiłoradzMalborskiPomorskie
21.SteblewoStubblau1300/1340Suchy DąbGdańskiPomorskie
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2025-0008 | Journal eISSN: 2084-6118 | Journal ISSN: 0867-6046
Language: English
Page range: 185 - 193
Submitted on: Sep 25, 2024
Accepted on: Jan 4, 2025
Published on: May 9, 2025
Published by: University of Warsaw
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

© 2025 Marta Koperska-Kośmicka, published by University of Warsaw
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.