History of Jamno
Jamno has been a district of the town of Koszalin since the year 2010. Before that, it was a village that together with the neighbouring village Łabusz formed an extremely interesting enclave. It came into being among others as a result of a centuries-old geographical separation of both villages: one could reach the settlements surrounded by marshes and meadows only in dry summers or in frosty winters. The geographical situation also contributed to a certain cultural isolation: non-harassed by the world, a relatively affluent community absorbed the customs of subsequent settlers in a creative manner. As a result of this, an enclave was formed with extremely interesting culture.
This peculiarity was discerned as early as in the mid 18th century, when German scholars noted Jamno. The peak development of the culture, which occurred in the 19th century, resulted in an intensification of ethnographical field research. The research results were published in Berlin periodicals, which not only focused on the spiritual culture but most of all on the material side of it. The most colourful aspects of the Jamno culture: furniture and dresses were emphasized. Everyday items were drawn, photographed and collected. Owing to this, the first exhibition devoted to the Jamno culture was open at the end of the 19th century.
This culture was the subject of pride of the then Koszalin residents, who became aware of its identity and consequently its peculiarity. Therefore, it is not surprising that these Jamno folk customs constituted a permanent element of the town’s promotion. In the year 1912, Koszalin was the organizer of a great agricultural and industrial exhibition, and a Jamno peasant cottage with the furnishings that are typical of this culture was built. An analogical exposition was organized in the year 1929 in the Koszalin museum. In 1931 a film about Koszalin was produced. It included numerous scenes from a Jamno wedding, and also documented the contemporary festive clothes of this ethnic group.
The Jamno culture suffered a terrible blow in the Second World War. In the years 1945-46, all of the residents of Jamno left their village. Fortunately, the documents, drawings, photographs and, above all, material culture monuments, still provide information about this community that was well-known all over Pomerania.