The town is notable for the fact that between 1945 and 1992 it was a secret Soviet military base that did not appear on any map, and was only transferred to Polish control in October 1992.

[4] The town of Borne Sulinowo traces back its roots to two distinct villages founded in the area in the 16th century by local Pomeranian nobility.

Paradoxically, it was given the name of the nearby village of Gross Born (which was also levelled), despite the fact that the actual namesake was located several kilometres to the south-east.

Shortly before the outbreak of the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in 1939, the training grounds housed Heinz Guderian's XIX Army Corps.

At the same time the area became part of the so-called Pomeranian Wall, a line of almost 1000 concrete bunkers guarding the pre-war Polish-German border and eastern approaches to Berlin.

In September 1939 in the military barracks a German POW camp was established for Polish soldiers, and later also for Russian, French and Yugoslav POWs-Stalag 302.

However, in April of the following year the Polish unit was withdrawn and the town was finally passed to civilian authorities – for the first time since the 19th century.

[8] Since 2004, Borne Sulinowo has hosted the International Gathering of Military Vehicles (Polish: Międzynarodowy Zlot Pojazdów Militarnych).

The event takes place over one weekend in August and has slowly grown into a general gathering of military enthusiasts and history buffs, with live concerts and cavalry shows for entertainment.

Many individuals choose to camp on-premises for the duration, and a large number wear military uniforms from different countries and time periods, World War II being the most popular.