Abstract. We present results based on multiwavelength optical polarimetric observations of 69 stars of the young Galactic open cluster Berkeley 59. Our observations reveal the presence of three dust layers at distances of ∼ 300 pc, $\sim$ 500 pc and ∼700 pc towards the direction of Be 59. The mean polarization and polarization angles due to these dust layers are found to increase systematically with increasing distance. The magnetic field orientation in the intracluster medium is significantly different and deviated from that in the foreground medium. The dust grain size is found to be different in the intra-cluster medium in comparison to that in the foreground medium.

Key words: ISM: dust, magnetic field -- stars: clusters -- Be 59