A 14th-century brass parish seal found in a ploughed field near Józefów, Braniewo, bears a crowned image of St. Catherine holding a sword and wheel — symbols of her martyrdom. Dated to the 1300s, the seal likely served an entire parish and is an uncommon survivor of medieval ecclesiastical material culture. The motif echoes Jan Matejko's depiction in The Battle of Grunwald, and historians suggest similar imagery may have appeared on regional banners at the 1410 battle. The seal is now exhibited at the Braniewo Land Museum.
600-Year-Old Brass Parish Seal Depicting St. Catherine Unearthed Near Braniewo, Poland
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Archaeologists have recovered a remarkably well-preserved 14th-century brass seal from a farmer's field near Józefów, close to Braniewo in northern Poland. The small object bears a clear, crowned image of St. Catherine of Alexandria and is thought to have served as an official parish seal.
What the Seal Shows
The flat face of the seal features an engraved St. Catherine holding a sword and a circular wheel — the traditional symbols of her martyrdom. Gothic lettering encircles the saint's image. The reverse has a raised rim and a hole, indicating the seal could have been tied or attached to documents or cords.
Historical Significance
Experts date the object to the 14th century and say parish seals from the Middle Ages rarely survive intact. Tomasz Kaluski of the University of Silesia, who studied the find, noted that the seal appears to have represented an entire parish rather than a single rector, making it an important piece for understanding local ecclesiastical administration in the period.
The crowned figure of St. Catherine also appears in Polish cultural memory — most famously in Jan Matejko's painting The Battle of Grunwald, which portrays Polish and Lithuanian forces fighting the Teutonic Knights at the decisive 1410 battle. Historians suggest the saint's image may have appeared on banners and standards used by fighters from the Braniewo region.
"Imagine life in 14th-century Braniewo, then the capital of Warmia," Adrian Klos, co-founder of Pogotowie Archeologiczne (the private archaeological firm that recovered the seal), said. "The seal was used by the Bishopric of Braniewo, which in 1410 contributed its own cavalry to the Battle of Grunwald."
Discovery and Display
The seal was found in a plough in Józefów near Braniewo. Archaeologist Robert Wyrostkiewicz cautioned that without archaeological context it is impossible to say whether the object was lost, hidden or intentionally abandoned. The Braniewo Land Museum has placed the artifact on display in its main hall, calling it one of the museum's most important pieces.
This small brass seal links local religious practice, medieval military history and regional identity across six centuries, offering a rare physical connection to life in Warmia during the late Middle Ages.
