Aleksander Ostasz

Aleksander Ostasz is a historian, underwater archaeologist, museum professional, diving instructor, commercial diver and underwater operations supervisor. Since 2015, he has served as Director of the Polish Arms Museum in Kołobrzeg. He is the founder and former long-time editor of Nurkowanie magazine, which he ran from 1995 to 2011. He is also President of the West Pomeranian Maritime Heritage Association and the Lighthouse Enthusiasts Association in Szczecin.

For many years, he has been involved in searching for, researching and recovering historical artefacts from Polish rivers, lakes and the Baltic Sea. He works closely with museums and institutions dedicated to protecting cultural heritage. He has participated in numerous recovery operations involving wrecks of armoured vehicles, aircraft and vessels.

From 2011 to 2013, he supervised underwater archaeological work during the construction of the President Lech Kaczyński LNG Terminal in Świnoujście, commonly known as the Gazoport.

Between 2019 and 2021, he led the team responsible for archaeological supervision of one of the largest marine engineering projects in Western Pomerania: the deepening of the Świnoujście–Szczecin shipping channel to 12.5 metres. During the project, approximately 100 tonnes of historical artefacts were recovered, providing valuable evidence of centuries of maritime history and technological development.

Title: From the Seabed to the Museum: Stories of Extraordinary Recoveries