A Polish museum has claimed to have found the world’s oldest time capsule in a church tower, containing 300-year-old coins, Latin documents and a deformed lead bullet.
The coffin reportedly dates from 1726 and was discovered during renovation work at the Church of St. Stanislaus in the small town of Wschowa, in western Poland.
The age of the capsule has yet to be confirmed, but if it actually dates from 1726, the find would be older than the current record holder from the American city of Boston.
The city museum called it a ‘unique find’ and said on social media: ‘The oldest time capsule in the world found in Wschowa.
‘The oldest capsule is in the form of a box made of copper plate, with the date 1726 stamped on the lid.
The box (pictured here) is said to date from 1726 and was discovered during renovation work on the Church of St. Stanislaus in the small town of Wschowa, western Poland
The age of the capsule has yet to be confirmed, but if it actually dates from 1726, the find would be older than the current record holder from Boston, USA.
The time capsule was found in the church tower of the Church of St. Stanislaus in Wsachowa, western Poland
‘The time capsule consisting of four parcels from 1726, 1786, 1884 and 1914 was removed from the sphere at the top of the tower of the parish church.’
The current oldest known time capsule, whose age has been verified, was discovered in Boston in 2014 in the Massachusetts State House, hidden behind a painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware River.
In one of the newly discovered chests, museum curators found a parchment written in Latin that, when translated, described a devastating fire that engulfed the city and reduced the church to ashes.
They also found a lead bullet that had been fired into the box and damaged some documents.
In a smaller chest they found coins from the 18th and 19th centuries, wrapped in newspapers.
The city museum called it a ‘unique find’ and said on social media: ‘The oldest time capsule in the world found in Wschowa. The oldest capsule is in the shape of a box made of copper plate, with the date 1726 stamped on the lid.
The museum reports: ‘The time capsule consisting of four packages from 1726, 1786, 1884 and 1914 was removed from the sphere at the top of the tower of the parish church.’
The capsule was found in the small town of Wschowa, in the western part of Poland
In one of the newly discovered chests, museum curators found a parchment written in Latin that, when translated, described a devastating fire that engulfed the city and reduced the church to ashes.
They also found a lead bullet that had been fired into the box and damaged some documents
The museum reports: ‘A date is stamped three times above the lock and on the bottom, starting from the second opening in 1884.
“The bottom was pierced with a small caliber lead bullet found in the box.
“The smaller box contained coins wrapped in newspaper, in two separate packages.”
Museum experts say they will now translate all documents and thoroughly examine the contents of the latest find.
During the 18th century, the city of Wschowa served as the second, ‘unofficial capital of Poland’.
In 1793, as a result of the second partition of Poland, the city became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. After the Second World War it fell back into Polish hands.
In a smaller chest they found coins from the 18th and 19th centuries, wrapped in newspapers
The museum said: ‘Above the lock and on the bottom a date is stamped three times from the second opening in 1884. ‘The bottom was pierced by a small caliber lead bullet found in the chest.’
Museum experts say they will now translate all documents and thoroughly examine the contents of the latest find. During the 18th century, the city of Wschowa served as the second, ‘unofficial capital of Poland’
Meanwhile, the previously oldest time capsule in Europe was also discovered in Poland in 2020, dating back to 1797.
It was found in a church tower in the town of Ziębice, 185 miles south of the most recent discovery.
When they opened it, city officials found 200-year-old coins and documents from 1797 written in German.
In the 18th century the city was called Münsterberg and was part of the Kingdom of Prussia.
The city’s mayor, Mariusz Szpilarewicz, said: ‘Everything indicates that it may be one of the oldest time capsules in the world.
‘The oldest capsule in the world dates back to the 18th century and was discovered in Boston, USA. Our pod is probably two years younger than the one from Boston.”
Meanwhile, Europe’s previously oldest time capsule was also discovered in Poland in 2020 and dates back to 1797. It was found in a church tower in the town of Ziębice (pictured above), 185 miles south of the most recent discovery.
When opening the capsule found in Poland in 2020, city officials found 200-year-old coins and documents dating from 1797, written in German. The city’s mayor Mariusz Szpilarewicz said: ‘Everything indicates that it may be one of the oldest time capsules in the world’
The world’s oldest capsule was discovered in 2014 at the Massachusetts State House in Boston after crews removed the time capsule from the building’s granite cornerstone.
Inside was an engraved silver plaque stating that the capsule had been hidden in 1795 by Revolutionary War luminaries Samuel Adams and Paul Revere, along with a host of other items.
Originally made of cowhide, the time capsule was believed to have been embedded in the cornerstone when construction of the Capitol began in 1795. Adams was governor of Massachusetts at the time.
The time capsule was removed in the mid-1800s and its contents transferred to a copper box, Galvin said.
Its removal was due to an ongoing water filtration project in the building.