Malcolm Hilgartner

When Daniel and Victoria van Buningen first toured their future home, a quiet villa in the Polish city Wrocław, it had been abandoned for years, its windows sealed up with bricks. But something about its overgrown garden spoke to them. They could imagine raising chickens there, planting tomatoes and cucumbers. They could make something beautiful out of it, they thought.

When Daniel and Victoria van Buningen first toured their future home, a quiet villa in the Polish city Wrocław, it had been abandoned for years, its windows sealed up with bricks. But something about its overgrown garden spoke to them. They could imagine raising chickens there, planting tomatoes and cucumbers. They could make something beautiful out of it, they thought.

A place where their children could run and play.

A place where their children could run and play.

They moved in knowing very little about what happened at the villa before World War II, when Wroclaw, formerly Breslau, was still part of Germany, or what occurred there during the war when Soviet forces held the city under a brutal siege, or even what became of the house during the war's aftermath, when hundreds of thousands of local Germans were forcibly resettled from what was now Polish territory.

They moved in knowing very little about what happened at the villa before World War II, when Wroclaw, formerly Breslau, was still part of Germany, or what occurred there during the war when Soviet forces held the city under a brutal siege, or even what became of the house during the war's aftermath, when hundreds of thousands of local Germans were forcibly resettled from what was now Polish territory.

All their neighbors could tell them was that the villa had once housed a communist newspaper, Still, the couple wanted to know more, and their inquiries eventually led to the Meinecke family in Heidelberg, Germany, elderly siblings who said they were born in the home. Over a long afternoon, they showed the couple pictures of the place from happier times before the war.

All their neighbors could tell them was that the villa had once housed a communist newspaper, Still, the couple wanted to know more, and their inquiries eventually led to the Meinecke family in Heidelberg, Germany, elderly siblings who said they were born in the home. Over a long afternoon, they showed the couple pictures of the place from happier times before the war.

But they also offered the van Benningens a surprising warning. The couple might find the remains of some German soldiers buried in the garden. Maybe a few, maybe more, they couldn't be certain. The Van Boonigans didn't quite know what to make of the claim, but it suddenly sounded more plausible when Daniel, digging a trench for a water pipe in his backyard, unearthed a Nazi-era helmet.

But they also offered the van Benningens a surprising warning. The couple might find the remains of some German soldiers buried in the garden. Maybe a few, maybe more, they couldn't be certain. The Van Boonigans didn't quite know what to make of the claim, but it suddenly sounded more plausible when Daniel, digging a trench for a water pipe in his backyard, unearthed a Nazi-era helmet.

It was around that time that Victoria received an unexpected knock on their door from, of all people, an archaeologist. His news unsettled the Van Boonigans even more. He had found documents that described an entire war cemetery located at their address. Could someone return to investigate?

It was around that time that Victoria received an unexpected knock on their door from, of all people, an archaeologist. His news unsettled the Van Boonigans even more. He had found documents that described an entire war cemetery located at their address. Could someone return to investigate?

It was perhaps a coincidence of timing, but it was clear to the van Boeningens that the answer had to be yes. The archaeologist, it turned out, was contracted by a private organization in Germany, run largely by former military officers and little known to the public.

It was perhaps a coincidence of timing, but it was clear to the van Boeningens that the answer had to be yes. The archaeologist, it turned out, was contracted by a private organization in Germany, run largely by former military officers and little known to the public.

The Volksbund, as the group was called, had an unusual mission, to find the graves of every German who died in the country's many wars and then give each a decent burial, no matter who they were or what they had done. A team from the Volksbund descended on the Van Buren property with an excavator on a cold March day in 2023.

The Volksbund, as the group was called, had an unusual mission, to find the graves of every German who died in the country's many wars and then give each a decent burial, no matter who they were or what they had done. A team from the Volksbund descended on the Van Buren property with an excavator on a cold March day in 2023.

Before long, the workers hit a layer of churned earth, a telltale sign that a grave lay below. The archaeologists paused to pull out trowels and paintbrushes so as not to damage any bones. Victoria and her son leaned in to look as the diggers uncovered the remains of a young woman with a much smaller skull in her lap. A mother and child just like us, Victoria thought.

Before long, the workers hit a layer of churned earth, a telltale sign that a grave lay below. The archaeologists paused to pull out trowels and paintbrushes so as not to damage any bones. Victoria and her son leaned in to look as the diggers uncovered the remains of a young woman with a much smaller skull in her lap. A mother and child just like us, Victoria thought.

Her children, fascinated, asked if they could stay home from school the next day to watch. Their parents agreed, and all that week the van Bunningens looked on in astonishment at what emerged from the earth behind their home. There were old rusted objects like keys and earrings, a pince-nez, a gold wedding ring, a large chain, and on it a medallion inscribed with the name of Wilhelm Korn.

Her children, fascinated, asked if they could stay home from school the next day to watch. Their parents agreed, and all that week the van Bunningens looked on in astonishment at what emerged from the earth behind their home. There were old rusted objects like keys and earrings, a pince-nez, a gold wedding ring, a large chain, and on it a medallion inscribed with the name of Wilhelm Korn.