Brynica

• A memorial plaque commemorates residents who died in 1944.
• An iron cross with trefoil-ended arms stands on a stone plinth and dates from 1863.
• A stone cross on a stone plinth also dates from 1863.
• Brynica lies on the northeastern edge of the Piekoszów municipality and within the Podkielecki Protected Landscape Area.

The memorial plaque and the crosses refer to different years. The plaque commemorates residents who died in 1944. The year 1863 is associated with two crosses: an iron cross stands on a stone plinth and has arms that end in trefoil shapes. Another cross is made of stone and also stands on a stone plinth; it, too, dates from 1863.

The materials make for a straightforward distinction: one cross is described as iron, the other as stone. The iron cross also has a distinctive arm shape. Its trefoil-ended arms widen at their tips into a clover-like outline. This distinguishes its description from the more concise reference to the stone cross. The shared year places both crosses in relation to one another, while the memorial plaque has its own connection to the residents who died in 1944.

According to local oral tradition, an insurgent who was seriously wounded in the battle near Małogoszcz reached Brynica. There, Cossacks are said to have caught up with him. Although he reportedly sought shelter behind a cross, they killed him with sabre blows. His companions are said to have erected the cross on his grave.

The story follows the wounded man's journey from the battle to Brynica, then to his grave and the cross erected there. It offers a different way into the history of the place than a date or a description of a material: the focus is on a person and a sequence of events passed down through tradition. Its attribution to local oral tradition is part of the story itself and identifies it as a local account handed down over time.

The location details describe Brynica on two levels. The place lies on the northeastern edge of the Piekoszów municipality and also within the Podkielecki Protected Landscape Area. The first detail locates Brynica within the municipality; the second identifies its inclusion in the protected area. Together, they provide a specific geographic context without equating the two locations.

Discover more destinations: Radlin, Rykoszyn, Chałupki, Borków, Tokarnia, Strawczyn, Bęczków, Ciecierze.

Where is Brynica?

Brynica lies on the northeastern edge of the Piekoszów municipality in the Podkielecki Protected Landscape Area.

Who does the memorial plaque commemorate?

It commemorates residents of Brynica who died in 1944.

Which crosses date from 1863?

They are an iron cross with trefoil-ended arms on a stone plinth and a stone cross, also on a stone plinth.

What does local tradition recount?

It tells of a wounded insurgent who reached Brynica, was killed there, and was honored by his companions with a cross on his grave.

For the main travel overview: Kielce.