Every year, on the second Sunday in September, tens of thousands of pilgrims gather on the grounds of the Shrine of Our Lady of Gietrzwałd.
At the altar, a dais filled with clerics, beautiful choirs, and secular dignitaries seated beneath the platform create a ceremonial scene. Reading the attendance list takes a moment, listing names and roles. At the base of the altar, farmers place carefully prepared harvest wreaths. The mood is solemn, and the events receive wide press coverage as bishops from Poland and abroad share homilies on major religious and social topics.
Gietrzwałd appears as an inviolable, invaluable asset to everyone gathered. A value that no one in a free, independent Poland would dare to belittle.
And yet.
For several years, work has been advancing on a large Lidl Distribution Center near the sanctuary, paired with an installation for shop waste disposal. If the project goes ahead, the size of the center, the traffic it would generate, and the resulting consequences would alter Gietrzwałd in ways that could last for today and for future generations.
Today Gietrzwałd stands as a cohesive whole envisioned by God. For believers, it is foremost a reminder of the Mother of God. For patriots, it is a site where the idea of Polish independence was revived. For nature lovers, the landscape of Warmia reveals changing colors and forms with the seasons. Naturalists highlight the unique area here, as it lies within the Protected Landscape Area of the Pasłęka Valley. Those seeking quietude find a hillside framed by meadows and forests, crowned by a simple church whose walls hold a wealth of historical significance. Pure Warmia remains an inseparable part of Polish heritage.
Part of Polish history
The sanctuary in Gietrzwałd and all its treasures belong to the whole Polish public, not to a single structure or current manager of a municipality, district, or other units. Like Wawel, Jasna Góra, the Royal Castle in Warsaw, or the Old Town of Gdańsk, Gietrzwałd is a fragment of Polish history. Everyone contributes to it, everyone bears responsibility, and everyone has a voice in its future.
Supporters of the Lidl Gietrzwałd Distribution Center highlight benefits and minimize risks, arguing there is no threat. But the facts deserve careful scrutiny.
According to Gazeta Gietrzwaldzka, the investment site covers 41 hectares, with a built area of 7 hectares and a paved area of 9 hectares. The warehouse measures 440.25 meters in length and 153.32 meters in width. The height reaches 24 meters, plus fans, bringing the total to 161 meters above sea level. The sanctuary church tower stands at 159 meters. Such a facility would dominate the surrounding landscape.
Additionally, hundreds of trucks would move on the S 16 road seven days a week, introducing traffic and passenger car flows bringing workers and visitors. Dr. hab. Zdzisława Kobylińska explored the technical parameters and potential consequences in Gazeta Olsztyńska on June 16 of this year.
Judgments about optimal siting emphasize easy, safe access to transport hubs and minimal environmental impact. The proposed location fails to meet these standards, raising concerns about local disruption.
Proponents point to higher municipal tax revenues. Yet Gietrzwałd already benefits from substantial government support, and authorities recently moved to exempt this form of investment from property tax for three years, arguing it would boost local income.
With nearby Olsztyn only a short distance away, unemployment in the region is modest. Workers would need transportation to workshops in neighboring Olsztynek due to a limited local labor supply.
The determination of Gietrzwałd’s municipal leadership to pursue the distribution center has sparked opposition among some residents. An effort to convene a referendum to remove the mayor sparked bureaucratic maneuvers, including police involvement to collect signatures. After repeated counts, many signatures were deemed invalid, leaving the question unsettled. The status of the project remains contested.
In May, the city council adopted a resolution authorizing the mayor and the council chairman to defend the municipality’s name and the mayor’s personal rights if necessary. The measure is seen by some as a way for the commune to cover legal costs for defending its leadership.
Some compare the Lidl project to the construction of a major highway. Yet the projects differ in purpose. The S 16 road serves millions and protects wildlife; the Lidl center would primarily benefit a local corporate fleet while imposing costs on the community.
Destroyed space
The plan involves risks to the communicative, natural, scenic, historical, and spiritual landscape, potentially leaving future generations with a altered Gietrzwałd that functions as a logistical module for Lidl.
One might imagine a site near Lourdes, Fatima, Guadeloupe, or a major Marian shrine in Germany hosting such a logistics center. The concern extends to waste management, with Lidl’s Polish and international operations generating substantial waste annually, plus disposal challenges tied to that site.
Since Lidl’s appearance in Gietrzwałd, the Marian character of the place has faced questions and belittlement. Some note that Gietrzwałd hosts Poland’s only recognized Marian apparitions by the Catholic Church, a point often highlighted by local advocates.
Krzysztof Bielawny has linked the site to a historical moment when Poland faced partitions and cultural pressures, suggesting Warmia became a focal point of Polish resilience.
Even with roughly a million pilgrims visiting annually, Gietrzwałd remains off the beaten path. The quiet, intimate, and natural Warmian environment fosters a space for spiritual life that touches visitors in church, the town square, at the chapel, at the well, and along the Stations of the Cross.
The Lidl siting case has provoked strong emotions and a range of arguments. Both municipal authorities and church leadership face criticism, while supporters of the project argue that opponents have ulterior motives or fail to engage constructively.
The aim remains clear: to preserve the Marian Shrine in Gietrzwałd so it can continue serving people, Warmia, and Poland in a peaceful, uninterrupted way. The question is whether that goal can be achieved without compromising the shrine’s sacred identity.
Finally, a note to Lidl’s leadership: consider stepping back from Gietrzwałd. Lidl operates many stores across Poland and could show respect for local sentiment, tradition, and religion with a thoughtful gesture.
THE TEXT IS ALSO PUBLISHED ON THE OPINIONS OLSZTYN WEBSITE
Source: wPolityce