Archaeological research was initiated in 2016 by the Museum of Westerplatte and the War of 1939. After its merger with the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk, the research continues to this day. The research forms part of interdisciplinary studies aimed at gaining the most comprehensive understanding of the history of the Military Transit Depot throughby discovering and documenting all objects related to it, including buildings, railway, road and technical infrastructure, and changes in the terrain caused by fighting (craters, trenches, combat positions). However, the priority task is to find the remains of all Polish soldiers who died during the defence.
During archaeological research, the most important objects related to the history of the WST were carefully examined, including the remains of guardhouse No. 5, the officers' villa, the non-commissioned officers' mess, the old barracks, the administration building, ammunition shelters No. 8 and 12, and craters created on 2 September 1939 during an aerial bombing. The condition and construction of ammunition shelters No. 10 and 11 were also investigated, and a search was launched for the remains of legionnaire Mieczysław Krzak and the position of a field cannon, known as a putiłówka, used by Polish soldiers to defend the depot.
In 2019, a breakthrough discovery was made – the graves of nine Polish soldiers were found. Some of them died in guardhouse No. 5, which was bombed by the Luftwaffe on 2 September 1939, while the others died in other parts of the peninsula. Cooperation between the Museum of the Second World War, the Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin and Departmental Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation of the Institute of National Remembrance in Gdańsk resulted in the genetic identification of seven persons. In 2022, thanks to the efforts of the Museum, funeral ceremonies were organised, during which the defenders of Westerplatte were laid to rest in the new Polish Army Cemetery built at Westerplatte.
In addition to excavations, Museum employees also conduct archaeological supervision of works related to the construction of the Museum of Westerplatte and the War of 1939. Such supervision was carried out during the construction of the Polish Army Soldiers' Cemetery at Westerplatte. It covered an area of over 3,500 m². Three craters left by aerial bombs or artillery shells were located and examined near the officers' villa and guardhouse No. 5.
In parallel with the archaeological research, sappers used metal detectors to clear the area of explosives and hazardous military materials, also under archaeological supervision. This work was carried out by soldiers of the Polish Army: the 43rd Naval Sapper Battalion, the Sapper Company of the Engineering Battalion of the 2nd Sapper Regiment from Kazun Nowy, and specialists from private companies. The aim of these measures was to ensure safety – not only for archaeologists and other museum employees, but above all for the crowds of tourists visiting Westerplatte.
Moreover, geophysical surveys using a magnetometer and ground-penetrating radar were conducted over an area of more than 16 hectares (163,424 m²). These enable the detection of potentially dangerous objects lying at depths beyond the reach of standard sapper work, as well as the location of building remains, bomb craters and other archaeological objects. In places where post-war earth embankments interfered with the readings of the devices, a series of boreholes were drilled. Laser scanning of the remains of WST buildings was also carried out: new barracks, guardhouses No. 3 and 5, an officers' villa, ammunition shelters No. 8, 10, 11, 12 and the ‘Fort’ outpost.
During the research stages and archaeological supervision carried out to date, over 75,000 items related to the history of the peninsula dating back to the mid-17th century have been obtained. Over 28,000 of them have been recognised as artefacts of great historical, exhibition and scientific value. They are being gradually preserved, and a selection of the most valuable ones will be presented at an archaeological exhibition in the former power plant building.
