Bierzwnik’s Jubilee – 720 years on the Cistercian Route

Bierzwnik

In June 1294 a convent of Cistercian monks from the abbey in Kolbacz in Pomorze Zachodnie (Western Pomerania) arrived to their new location, which they called Silva Sancte Marie, in German Marienwalde, nowadays Bierzwnik. Their presence in this location lasted for only 245 years, while their influence on the area has continued for over seven centuries. Cistercian legacy has become a significant part of cultural heritage, and placed Bierzwnik within the European Cistercian Route. We are glad to announce that in this jubilee year Poczta Polska (Polish postal service) issued a postcard picturing the abbey in Bierzwnik (Fig. 1), as a part of their series ”The Cistercian Route in Poland”. Barbara Stolpiak, Teresa Swiercz; The Association of Post-Cistercian Heritage Protection in Bierzwnik ; e-mail: stolbar@amu.edu.pl