A Counter Die with the Godziemba Coat of Arms from the Poznań Suburb of St. Wojciech

Abstract

The Saint Wojciech suburbs, situated beyond the Wroniecka Gate and therefore also known as the Wroniecki suburb, were – alongside the Saint Marcin suburb – the oldest within the Poznań conurbation. They occupied a relatively expansive and physiographically diverse area located north of the city, bounded by the waters of the Warta River and its two left-bank tributaries, the Wierzbak and Rudnik (also known as the Bogdanka). The core of the settlement comprised lands clustered around the parish church dedicated to St. Wojciech. Initially owned by the Poznań cathedral chapter and later by the local parish priest, this area contrasted with the terrain directly in front of the Wroniecka Gate, which was under municipal control.

Since its inception, the suburb played an exceptionally significant role in the economic system of Poznań. Its advantageous location – surrounded by efficient watercourses that facilitated the establishment of flour and fulling mills (of which there were at least a dozen) – along with abundant clay deposits suitable for pottery and brickmaking, attracted practitioners of specific trades, primarily potters, weavers, and clothiers. The first group, which included not only potters but also brickmakers, bricklayers, and those engaged in clay extraction, who had likely been active in the area even earlier, made their presence particularly evident around the second half of the 15^th century. They constituted a dynamic, well-organised, and highly influential professional community.

Although the first references to physical traces of the potters’ activity on the St. Wojciech Hill date back to the early 20^th century, archaeological interest in the site did not emerge until several decades later, in the mid-1970s. Among the discoveries from that period is a noteworthy collection of 17^th- and 18^th-century ceramic wares, consisting primarily of pseudo-maiolica vessels and tiles. In 1993, near the centre of the old suburb – at the intersection of St. Wojciech and Podgórze Streets – relics dating from the second half of the 16th century and the early 17^th century were uncovered. Over ten years later, four sondage sites were set up at the back of that workshop. In one of them, a set of clay pottery moulds was found – a patrix and three matrices. On the partially preserved patrix, a shield bearing the Godziemba coat of arms (in the variant with three roots) is depicted, held in both hands by a youngster, a so-called holder, with intricately curled, styled hair and wearing an attire from the period. The mould has been dated to the third quarter of 16th century.

The Poznań patrix was likely produced on site, within the workshop, and according to the classification criteria proposed by the German expert H. Rosmanitz, it proves difficult to categorise. It is presumed to be a second-hand piece, incorporating original components that were replaced once they had worn out. In Poland, remains of such patrices have been found – based on the authors’ knowledge – only in Kraków, at 11 Loretańska Street (two fragments), and in Stargard (one fragment), at the intersection of Szewska and Włosiennicza Streets. In both cases, they were discovered within the remains of 16^th-century potteries.