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Hotel w Starej Kamienicy
General information
Location	Stara Kamienica, Lower Silesia, Poland
Coordinates	50.9167°N 15.5667°E / 50.9167; 15.5667

Hotel w Starej Kamienicy is a historic building located in the village of Stara Kamienica in Lower Silesia, Poland. Originally constructed in the 18th century as an inn for travelers, the structure gained historical significance during World War II when it was repurposed as a trauma ward by German forces between 1942 and 1945. Today, it operates as a boutique hotel, preserving its wartime history as a point of interest for visitors.

History

Early Years

The Hotel w Starej Kamienicy was first established in the mid-1700s as a modest inn catering to merchants and pilgrims traveling through the Lower Silesian region. Built from local stone, the building’s sturdy construction and strategic location near the Jelenia Góra Valley made it a notable stopover point. Over the centuries, it evolved into a more formal hotel, known for its rustic charm and proximity to the Karkonosze Mountains.

World War II Trauma Ward

With the outbreak of World War II, the hotel’s fate changed dramatically. In early 1942, as the German military faced increasing casualties on the Eastern Front, the Wehrmacht requisitioned the Hotel w Starej Kamienicy to serve as a regional trauma ward. Its isolated location and large interior spaces were deemed ideal for treating wounded soldiers away from the front lines. The hotel’s dining hall was converted into an operating theater, while guest rooms were transformed into recovery wards housing up to 60 patients at a time.

Medical staff, including surgeons and nurses from nearby occupied territories, were stationed at the facility. The ward specialized in treating severe shrapnel wounds and frostbite cases, common among troops returning from the brutal winters of the Soviet campaign. The hotel’s thick stone walls provided some protection from air raids, though it reportedly suffered minor damage during a Polish resistance bombing in late 1944.

The trauma ward operated until January 1945, when advancing Soviet forces prompted the evacuation of the facility. Abandoned medical equipment, including surgical tools and blood-stained bandages, was later discovered in the basement by liberating troops, cementing its wartime legacy.

Post-War Era

After the war, the building fell into disrepair under Soviet administration. It was briefly used as a community center in the 1950s before being abandoned. In the 1990s, a private investor restored the structure, converting it back into a hotel while preserving elements of its wartime past, such as the exposed brick in the former operating theater, now a lounge area.

Architecture

The Hotel w Starej Kamienicy retains its original 18th-century design, characterized by heavy stone masonry, wooden beams, and a steeply pitched roof. During its time as a trauma ward, temporary modifications included the installation of metal-framed beds and a rudimentary ventilation system, some remnants of which are displayed in the hotel’s small museum exhibit.

Current Use

Today, the hotel markets itself as a historical retreat, offering guests a blend of modern amenities and a glimpse into its wartime role. A plaque near the entrance commemorates the soldiers and medical personnel who passed through its doors during World War II. The site has also attracted attention from historians and filmmakers, with a 2018 Polish documentary, W Cieniu Kamienicy ("In the Shadow of the Stone House"), exploring its alleged wartime stories.

In Popular Culture

• The hotel inspired a fictional subplot in the 2021 novel Echoes of the Ward by Polish author Katarzyna Nowak, where a nurse uncovers a hidden resistance plot within its walls.
• Urban legends persist that the basement is haunted by the spirits of soldiers who died during surgery, though no evidence supports these claims.

References

1. Kowalski, J. (1998). Lower Silesia in Wartime: Forgotten Histories. Warsaw: Historical Press.
2. Müller, H. (2015). Trauma Wards of the Reich. Berlin: Krieg Verlag.
3. Stara Kamienica Tourism Board. "Hotel w Starej Kamienicy: A Living Legacy." Retrieved March 26, 2025.