Naguszewo: Archaeology and Church History in Nearby Rumian

Naguszewo combines archaeological traces in the village with the church history of nearby Rumian. For a trip focused on history and historic architecture, the area offers two distinct points of interest: the archaeological sites in Naguszewo and St. Barbara’s Baroque wooden church in Rumian. County Road 185039N connects Rumian and Naguszewo, providing a specific reference point for navigating between the two places.

Archaeological Traces and Activity Zone

Naguszewo’s archaeological monuments include the burial mound “Kurhan Naguszewo” and a settlement site (site 1). These two features represent different archaeological forms: a burial mound and a settlement site.

Another aspect of the village is its open-air activity zone. It brings together equipment for an outdoor fitness area, a place to rest, and landscaped green spaces. This creates a setting where exercise, a place to relax, and landscaped outdoor areas meet. Naguszewo also had a natural grass sports field in 2022.

St. Barbara’s in Rumian: Architecture and Furnishings

Nearby Rumian is home to the wooden parish church of St. Barbara, built in 1714. The Baroque building is listed as a historic monument. Its furnishings include three altars: a Late Renaissance Holy Cross altar, a Baroque altar, and a high altar dating from the 18th century. The church thus features different stylistic and historical influences.

The organ adds a later date to the building’s history: it was built by Paul B. Voelkner in 1909, and its exterior is designed in the Neo-Baroque style. Ancient small-leaved lime trees stand around the church and are considered natural monuments. The largest tree has a trunk circumference of 423 centimeters. The church, its furnishings, and the trees offer different points of interest for anyone interested in sacred architecture or natural monuments.

Historical Links Between the Places

A local historical account reports that Naguszewo became part of the Kingdom of Poland during the Thirteen Years’ War, from 1454 to 1466, while nearby Groszki remained in the State of the Teutonic Order. The boundary between the two villages today was therefore a state border.

A local historical account reports that on January 9, 1609, Bishop Wawrzyniec Gembicki confirmed the renewal of the land grant for Naguszewo in Lubawa, issuing a charter of settlement. According to this account, the same land grant included 30 włóki (hides) of land for hereditary cultivation by the Nagoszewski family and fishing rights on Lake Rumiańskie. The historical details link Naguszewo both to a land grant and to rights on the lake; these fishing rights form part of the village’s history.

An account of a bishop’s visitation in 1706 names several people from Naguszewo who had pledged between 10 and 50 florins toward the construction of the parish church in Rumian. Since 1850, Naguszewo has belonged to the parish in Rumian. These connections from different periods help put the relationship between the places in the context of their shared church history.

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For the main travel overview: Soldau.