Rescue excavations in the historic Far Forstadt district of Kaliningrad have uncovered a remarkable collection of artefacts spanning more than 400 years, offering fresh insights into daily life in the former Prussian city of Königsberg from the 16th century through to the Second World War.
The excavations, carried out in 2026 by the Sambian Archaeological Expedition of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, took place in a park bordered by Leninsky Prospekt, Krasnooktyabrskaya Street and Morekhodnaya Street ahead of planned redevelopment works.
Archaeologists investigated an area that once formed part of Königsberg’s Far Forstadt—the southern section of the city’s medieval suburb—where historical records suggest settlement began as early as the 14th century.
Although cultural deposits from Königsberg were first identified in 2006, repeated archaeological surveys led to the site being officially recognised as an archaeological heritage location in 2025.
Historical documents reveal the area was originally associated with St George’s Hospital, which received grazing rights for livestock in 1327. Over the following centuries, the district developed into a thriving suburb containing gardens, workshops, livestock enclosures and market spaces.
By the mid-17th century, the western side of the district had become densely built up, while the eastern section evolved into a busy fairground.
One of the excavation’s most significant discoveries was part of the Zug Graben, a canal first recorded in 1520. The waterway served multiple purposes, including drainage, fire protection, transport and defence, before being filled in during the early 19th century. Modern streets now occupy its former route.
Archaeologists uncovered one section of the canal that appears to have been deliberately infilled between 1810 and 1815, helping researchers better understand how Königsberg’s urban landscape evolved. The area’s waterlogged soil created ideal conditions for preserving organic materials rarely found on archaeological sites.
Excavations revealed surviving wooden water pipes, fences and corduroy roads, providing rare evidence of historic construction techniques and infrastructure used within the suburb. The cultural layers produced a wealth of finds dating from the 16th to the early 20th centuries, illustrating everyday life across successive generations.
Among the discoveries were:
- Tableware and pottery from the 16th to 18th centuries
- Decorative stove tiles
- Clay smoking pipes dating from the 17th and 18th centuries
- Leather goods
- Evidence of textile production, including piles of sheep’s wool
- Bone-carving waste, unfinished tool handles and blanks for rosary beads
Researchers believe the bone-working debris points to the presence of local craftspeople producing religious and domestic objects.
Several numismatic finds have also attracted attention. Among them is a Rechenpfennig—a counting token bearing the image of Catherine the Great and signed by renowned Nuremberg token maker Johann Christian Reich. The commemorative token was probably minted between 1796 and 1800 and reflects the commercial links that connected Königsberg with wider Europe.
Another unexpected discovery was an 1897 silver 50 kopeck coin depicting Tsar Nicholas II. Archaeologists say it remains impossible to determine whether the coin was lost by a Russian visitor to Königsberg or by a local resident returning from a journey through the Russian Empire.
Evidence of the destruction of Königsberg
Excavators also uncovered poignant reminders of the city’s destruction during the Second World War.
In the basement of a building destroyed during the RAF incendiary bombing of August 1944, researchers found melted bottles, warped window glass and fused tableware—the evidence of the intense temperatures generated by the attack.
The basement also contained imported porcelain, fragments of newspapers, Mettlach floor tiles, bricks stamped with the names of regional manufacturers, pocket watches, household goods and stamps issued during the Nazi period.
After the war, the damaged building was demolished and replaced with a public park, which inadvertently sealed and preserved centuries of archaeological deposits beneath the modern landscape.
Window into Königsberg’s past
The laboratory analysis of the findings is now in progress but archaeologists say the excavation has already yielded one of the richest archaeological records yet recovered from the Far Forstadt district.
The results provide valuable new evidence of Königsberg’s development over four centuries, shedding light on its crafts, trade, livestock farming, domestic life and urban infrastructure before the city’s destruction and transformation into modern-day Kaliningrad.
Sources : Institute of Archeology RAS
