City authorities announced the discovery on Wednesday during a presentation, saying the capsule turned up during conservation work on the tower.
The oldest parchment inside is dated July 18, 1650, placed there during the rebuilding of a tower burned in a 1648 fire that devastated much of the city. Two coins from that earlier era—a 1621 ducat and a 1607 thaler—were included.
A second deposit was made in 1775, adding two documents and 23 coins, many commemorating the reign of Prussian King Frederick II. That set also included four silver coins of Polish King Augustus III. The final addition came in 1823, with another document and 10 coins of Prussian King Frederick William III.
In all, the capsule holds 5 gold, 26 silver and 4 copper coins. It will be publicly displayed in the cathedral on September 19.
Marcin Makuch, director of the Copper Museum in Legnica, said such capsules are typically placed in church or town hall towers during construction or renovations, often with documents, coins, photographs or newspapers for future generations.
Mayor Maciej Kupaj called the find “something special and exceptional,” describing it as the world’s oldest time capsule. Museum staff said previous contenders dated to Niedźwiedzica (1704), Wawel (1716), Wschowa (1726) and Boston’s Faneuil Hall (1761).
The capsule will undergo further study at the Copper Museum, which plans a public presentation and a scholarly report.
(jh)
Source: PAP