During routine roadwork in the city of Wrocław, southern Poland, over 50 helmets belonging to soldiers from World War I and World War II were found just beneath the surface of the ground on Koszarowa Street, just a few meters from the Institute of Archaeology at the University of Wrocław.
The find, unearthed by road workers, was immediately reported to the nearby institute, where archaeologists were quick to take a closer look. Dr. Paweł Duma of the Department of Historical Archaeology described the find as “particularly interesting due to the number of helmets found in such a small area and the broader historical context.”
The site where the discovery was made had been a utility building of the German 8th Signal Battalion of the Signal Corps of the Wehrmacht, which managed communications for Nazi occupying forces in Poland. The structure, destroyed in 1945 toward the end of World War II, is believed to have stored the helmets, which were used for civilian purposes such as protection in air raids and fires, the archaeologists say. Their arrangement suggests they were kept carefully on shelves before the structure collapsed.
The cache consists of a diverse collection of helmet types. They include World War II German M42 and M35 helmets, earlier M16 helmets dating back to World War I, two M38 Luftschutz helmets designed for civilian defense against air attacks, a Polish W31, and a Soviet SSSh-36. This diversity also serves to support the presumption that the helmets existed in the complex for utilitarian rather than combat purposes.
The find this year is especially meaningful since it coincides with the 80th anniversary of the end of the Siege of Breslau, now Wrocław. Adolf Hitler had declared the city a fortress—Festung Breslau—in 1945 and instructed its defenders to battle Soviet forces at all costs. The siege lasted for nearly three months before the capture of the city in May, just before World War II ended in Europe.
The helmets will be sent to the Lower Silesian Provincial Heritage Conservator, who will determine their preservation and potential display.
More information: University of Wrocław
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