Beniaminów and Dąbkowizna

Beniaminów is a small village in the north-eastern part of Nieporęt Municipality, on the road from Białobrzegi to Radzymin. In the past its houses stood in a single row on the south side of the road, but over time the village developed a layout with several streets.

The village’s history is closely linked with Fort Beniaminów. Construction of the tsarist fortifications began at the start of the 20th century, and in 1920 the fort became part of the defence system of the Warsaw bridgehead. In September 1939 local people took shelter inside it.

In old sources, the name Beniaminów was also used for the nearby barracks that now lie in Białobrzegi. For this reason, some historical events attributed to Beniaminów – including the internment of the officers of the Polish Legions – actually took place in what is today Białobrzegi.

Dąbkowizna is a small forest settlement east of Nieporęt, on the Zegrze – Tłuszcz railway line. It is surrounded by pine forests and sand dunes crossed by waymarked trails.

In August 1920 the settlement was briefly occupied by Bolshevik troops preparing an attack on Fort Beniaminów. The ruins of a German Regelbau R 120a observation bunker from 1940–1941 also survive in the nearby forest. Close by grows the “John Casimir” oak, a natural monument, which makes Dąbkowizna a good starting point for exploring the nature and history of the eastern part of the municipality.