About Research on Medieval Kalisz

Abstract

Professor Tadeusz Poklewski-Koziełł together with his team conducted in the years 1981-1987 excavations of medieval Kalisz, the capital city of south Great Poland. The excavations concerned the chartered town area enclosed within the defensive walls. Recreated was also the scope of the bailey in the 14th century Kalisz, which belonged in the first line to the sacral objects and was church property, but also to the royal castle and the Jewish district –these creating the so called “non-urban area”. In contrast, as it has been stated, the urban utility area – for trade, handcraft and dwellings – constituted only 40% of the chartered land. A particularly important discovery of Professor Poklewski-Koziełł was finding the topographic location and examining the relics of the Kalisz castle destroyed in a fire in 1537. It has been ascertained, that the castle – built as a royal residence – and the adjoining defensive town walls were constructed at the same time: in the 30s and the beginning of 40s of the 14th c. on the initiative and from foundation of Casmir the Great. An important element while determining the dating of particular objects of stone architecture were the pioneer examinations of brick regarded as an new compound of archaeological sources