Nowy Wiec is a medieval linear village on the Rutkownica stream. Its history can be viewed on different levels: at a wayside chapel, in the historic settlement layout, in Marta Wiecka’s biography and at a memorial cemetery. The Skarszewski Trail is also marked in Nowy Wiec with route kilometre markers. When planning your trip, it is worth treating the village’s history and the route extending beyond the village as two distinct points of interest.
Village Structure and Chapel
The historic rural settlement layout of Nowy Wiec within the historic settlement area is recorded as a WEZ listed heritage site. A wayside chapel stands at the village entrance from the direction of Skarszewy. It dates from the late 19th century, was rebuilt in 2006, and is recorded as a WEZ/GEZ listed heritage site.
The chapel and settlement layout show two different scales of local history: one focuses on a single building, the other on the village as a whole. If you are interested in architectural heritage, you can consider these perspectives side by side, rather than viewing Nowy Wiec only through a single monument.
Marta Wiecka and Her Local History
Marta Wiecka was born in Nowy Wiec on 12 January 1874. She was the third of 13 children of the wealthy landowner Marcello Wiecki and his wife, Paolina Kamrowska Wiecka. The monument to Marta Wiecka in Nowy Wiec is classified as a tourist attraction and as an item of tangible cultural heritage in the “Monuments and Memorial Plaques” category.
Her birthplace and monument offer a biographical perspective on the village’s history. Details about her family add information about her origins, while the wayside chapel and settlement layout tell the story of the built heritage and the village’s form.
Commemoration and Regional Context
The memorial cemetery in Nowy Wiec commemorates the victims of German crimes during the Second World War. It holds the remains of Poles murdered by the German Selbstschutz between 1939 and 1944. A stone memorial plaque lists the names of identified victims, including clergy and residents of the region.
In October and November 1939, a farm belonging to Władysław Wiecki in Nowy Wiec housed a detention site and an execution site operated by the Selbstschutz. The plaque draws attention to the identified victims; the events at the farm identify a specific historical place and period. The memorial cemetery is associated with the regional context of Kociewie and the Starogard Lake District. It lies in simple, rural and natural surroundings, whose tranquillity invites quiet reflection.
The Skarszewski Trail and Getting There
The green Skarszewski Trail runs from Sopot Kamienny Potok to Skarszewy and is 81.6 km long. In Nowy Wiec, the Skarszewski Trail is marked at route kilometre points 68.7/12.0. The total route length and the kilometre markers in the village are therefore two different ways of finding your bearings. According to PTTK, the trail is suitable for cycling. Check the trail markings and conditions before setting out.
A PKS bus stop on the Gdańsk–Kościerzyna route is also listed in Nowy Wiec. If you plan to travel by bus, check the current timetable before departure.
Discover more destinations: Starogard Gdański, Kolincz, Koźmin, Skorcz, Siwialka, Krąg, Osiek K Skórcza, Godziszewo.
For the broader travel overview: Preußisch Stargard.
