Wolborski Forest

Wolborski Forest lies in the north-eastern part of Piotrków Trybunalski, between Rakowska and Wolborska streets, approximately two kilometres from the city centre. It is an ordinary managed forest, open to the public and used for walks and recreation, but also a place of remembrance associated with executions carried out by Germans during the Second World War.

Executions during the occupation

On 29 June 1940, Germans shot 42 prisoners in the forest: 39 men and 3 women, mostly children under sixteen years old. They were residents of Piotrków and the surrounding area arrested by the occupier in the first months of the war.

In October 1942, approximately 30 people of Jewish origin who had attempted to escape from the ghetto in Piotrków Trybunalski died in the forest. The executions took place during the liquidation of the ghetto, when Germans were combing the areas around the city in search of escapees.

In total, approximately 3,000 people of Jewish origin were murdered in Wolborski Forest. This figure includes all executions carried out in the forest during the occupation, including these two described above. The forest was therefore a site of multiple murders spread over time, not a single crime.

Place of remembrance

After liberation, a monument dedicated to the victims of Nazism was unveiled in the forest. It commemorates people murdered on this site during the years of occupation, both Poles and Jews.

In 2013, the graves of the victims were renovated in accordance with applicable standards, funded from the state budget. The renovation covered burial sites located directly on the forest terrain, in the vicinity of the monument.

Forest management

The forest is managed by Nadleśnictwo Piotrków [Piotrków Forest District], subordinate to the Regional Directorate of State Forests in Łódź. The Forest District was established through the merger of Nadleśnictwo Meszcze, created in 1945, and Nadleśnictwo Nagórzyce from 1975. In 2003, Nadleśnictwo Łęczno joined it, which shaped the current scope of the unit also managing Wolborski Forest.

Tourist trail

A yellow tourist trail leads to the forest, which begins at I Liceum Ogólnokształcące [First General Secondary School] in Piotrków Trybunalski. The route is 6 kilometres long and takes approximately one hour and 35 minutes to complete. The trail connects the city centre with the forest area and the place of remembrance, so it is suitable both for a walk and for a bicycle trip.

Practical information

• Address: between Rakowska and Wolborska streets, approximately 2 km east of Piotrków Trybunalski city centre
• Access: by municipal bus to Piotrków Trybunalski, then on foot or by bicycle, or via the yellow trail from I LO
• What to expect: forest terrain with no designated opening hours, a place of remembrance requiring respect, limited tourist infrastructure beyond the trail
• Nearby: Park Śródmiejski im. św. Jana Pawła II