The now-defunct Neuhaus (the pre-war name) was a village mentioned as early as the Middle Ages, in connection with the construction of a stronghold by Bolko II, Duke of Świdnica-Jawor. Until the end of World War II, the settlement was socially and economically well developed. It had taverns, a mill, a school, a church and farms.
The judgment and end of Nowoszów came in February 1945, when the Red Army entered the village and brutally dealt with its inhabitants, sparing no one. After the war, the village was not resettled, and the buildings were gradually dismantled to rebuild cities and nearby villages.
The ruins of Nowoszów stretch from the village of Poświętne, along the road running beside the Czerna Wielka River. Here we can see the remains of several dozen homes, public buildings and farm buildings. At some of the ruins, we can see warning signs prohibiting entry; these are places where, besides the walls, cellars have survived. It is better not to enter them, because you could literally lose the ground beneath your feet! Year by year, nature is consuming these places, and in a few decades they will probably leave no trace. Who knows—perhaps in several centuries they will become the subject of archaeological research, when, during the construction of a new road or bridge, machinery uncovers what the forest has concealed.
A cemetery in the middle of the forest
The Nowoszów necropolis—or rather, its remains—is located more than 11 km from Parowa, deep in the forests of the Lower Silesian Wilderness, administratively already within Lubusz Voivodeship. Interestingly, the cemetery may become an object that recalls the existence of this village. For some time, efforts have been made to protect the site, either by the Forest District or private individuals. A vertical plaque has appeared on the previously empty pedestal, topped with a cross carved from sandstone. The area has been fenced with poles, around which small spruce trees have been planted. Several gravestones, sunken graves and a section of stone fencing have survived in the cemetery. Candles are placed on the pedestal beneath the cross, an expression of remembrance and prayer for the people buried here.
The Czerna Wielka River and the Red Bridge
The Red Bridge is, of course, a local name—it is easy to guess why—and it is located about 300 m from the cemetery. It still serves its purpose and, despite being nearly a hundred years old and lacking maintenance, remains in very good technical condition. It is certainly the oldest part of Nowoszów, as evidenced by the remains of buildings, including a medieval church, of which there are quite a few around the bridge.
According to some sources, a border stronghold was built nearby, southeast of the bridge, in 1366. Together with the castle in Kliczków and Czocha Castle, it belonged to the defensive system of the Duchy of Jawor and Świdnica. The remains of the stronghold were reportedly still visible at the beginning of the last century.
Since the dawn of history, people have built their settlements by rivers. The same was true in Nowoszów, where the Czerna Wielka served both as a source of water and as a source of power for the forges, mills, hammer mills and power plant that operated here—the latter stood by the bridge in nearby Poświętne. Today, this is an exceptionally interesting place in terms of landscape and nature. The Czerna Wielka, with its distinctive rusty-colored riverbed, flows here in a completely natural manner, without regulation or the removal of fallen trees. In the river valley, we encounter small backwaters, wetlands and disappearing oxbow lakes.
More information and photos on the Parowa.info.pl website.
Piotr Koza/Parowa.info.pl