Leśno[ˈlɛɕnɔ] is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Brusy, within Chojnice County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland.[1] It lies approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) north of Brusy, 30 km (19 mi) north of Chojnice, and 77 km (48 mi) south-west of the regional capital Gdańsk. The village is situated on the shores of Leśno Górne and Lesno Dolne lakes.
History
In the near vicinity of Lake Leśno Dolne is an archaeological site called Kamienne Kręgi (English: "Stone Circles") which contains numerous barrows and cists. Some are dated back as far as the Bronze Age. Other, later, barrows are dated back to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, and are connected with Gothic settlement.[2]
Leśno has long been considered a part of the Kashubian culture. During the Kashubian diaspora, many families from Leśno such as the Bambenek (Bambeneks) and the Stoltmann (Sztoltmans), Spierewka (Sprouffske), Bielawa emigrated to the area of Winona, Minnesota in the United States, beginning in the late 1850s.[8]
Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
The Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Leśno dates back as far as 1643 and has the highest wooden tower in Poland. First mentioned in 1534 as the church of Saint Katarzyna, the historical work Ad Historiam Ecclesiasticam Pomeraniae states that it was refounded and given its present name by Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga of Poland circa 1642.[9]
Miraculously, the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross escaped major damage during the First and Second World Wars. Indeed, many of the antique fittings have been preserved and can be viewed today. In keeping with its architectural and cultural significance, the church has received careful restoration and renovations. In 1975 the altars, pulpit, and choral area were renewed. In 1993–1994, the roof and tower coverings were renewed.
^Biskup, Marian; Tomczak, Andrzej (1955). Mapy województwa pomorskiego w drugiej połowie XVI w. (in Polish). Toruń. p. 123.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^A. Gasiorowski and K. Steyer, Tajna Organizacja Wojskowa Gryf Pomorski (Gdańsk 2010), p. 131.
^Hamerska, Małgorzata (2012). "Miejsca pamięci narodowej w powiecie chojnickim". Zeszyty Chojnickie (in Polish). No. 27. Chojnice: Chojnickie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk. p. 72.