HISTORY: The Final Resting Place of the (Good) Witch of Osowa Sień

While at the Palace, you may be so inclined as to walk over to the medieval church of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian. Hidden from behind stone walls, it's less than 350 meters away. And, if you dare wonder within the religious precinct, you may be interested in visiting one plot in particular...

Delivered visually-impaired and the contested child of a slapdash relationship, Julianna Marszałek "Julia" had arguably started her life off on the wrong foot.

Born January 1st, 1908 within the claustrophobic-confines of a dwarfed settlement towns away, she escaped the gossip surrounding her circumstances when her mother married the cobbler of Osowa Sien in 1918.

For good measure, they took-up residence in a thatched-roof home near The Palace at Osowa Sien; comfortably tucked away from the prying eyes of more populated portions of town.

Within years of moving in, her adoptive-father died suddenly. Her mother followed soon after.

Yet, despite the odds, she was revered early on as a woman of the mystic, a teller of fortunes, and a bewitcher – she enchanted and perplexed both Germans and Poles alike. But, it was the animals of Osowa Sien with whom her particular strain of magic worked great wonders.

Treating the domestic and untamed, the villagers respected her greatly and brought both lame horse and dog to her doorstep.

A herbalist and practitioner of the faiths, she challenged and cured that which lay before her. With such success in fact, that no one dare obstruct her – despite her feisty nature (which at times was especially upsetting to some).

And alas, that’s how she preferred to live life – and how we prefer to remember her by: a lady who subscribed to her own set of rules.

Though soporific in her prowess, one might argue that she was not a woman to go quietly. As such, we honor her life and death with private candlelight dinner parties for the more daring of guests, held bi-annually on January 1 and the August 30th weekend respectively.

If you can’t make it for her honor-parties, pay homage and stop by her ‘final’ resting place in the Church grounds of St. Fabian & St. Sebastian.