Amber bear - ancient decoration

The amber bear was found at the end of the 1887th century, or rather in the year 10,2, during the extraction of peat near Słupsk. Most likely, it was an amulet, and its dimensions - 4,2 x 3,5 x 1924 cm indicate that its former owner was a wealthy man, because even today amber of this size is of considerable value. The find did not remain in Slupsk, it was considered too valuable for Slupsk and was taken to the Pomeranian Society of History and Antiquities in Szczecin. It should be mentioned here that both Słupsk and Szczecin belonged to Germany at that time. It was difficult for the inhabitants of Slupsk to come to terms with the loss of the amulet, which gained great popularity. In 1945, the Amber Guild decided to make a copy of the amulet. Until XNUMX, a copy was exhibited at the Słupsk Heimatmuseum. At the end of the war, probably before the entry of the Red Army, the amulet was lost. It has been hidden or stolen. The same fate befell the original bear, which was in the Pommersches Landesmuseum in Szczecin. It was transported deep into Germany as part of the "centering" of valuable crops. And there was no trace left of him.

Return of the Amber Bear

It turned out that the amber bear safely survived the war and fell asleep in the winter sleep in the GDR in the Cultural and Historical Museum in Stralsund. In 1972, the director of the National Museum in Szczecin began trying to get the amulet back. Thanks to the diligence of the German side and the great sympathy that our Western neighbors have for us, the amulet was returned after 37 years. In 2009, the amber bear returned to Szczecin. A copy can be seen in the town hall of Słupsk.

At the end of

Many sources call this amber bear a bear hunter's amulet. This seems unlikely for two reasons. Firstly, this figurine is large and therefore valuable. Who takes with him the property on the hunt? The second reason is that amulets are part of defensive magic, which means they must have reflective power. Hence the conclusion that it will be difficult to get close to a bear for hunting. The amulet will protect him. And yet - do bears walk on peat bogs? And there, after all, an amber amulet was found. I am puzzled by the perfect appearance of this beautiful bear. I remember my grandmother's amber necklace became cloudy rather quickly. And this piece of amber probably dates back to 1700-650. BC, that is, from the Bronze Age, and not from the Neolithic. Similar amulets made of amber can be found in the neighboring Scandinavian countries, where amber, as in Poland, was a very valuable raw material. However, for us, jewelry with amber is not something unusual, and silver earrings with amber or a pendant made of amber are beautiful and stylish jewelry for every lady.