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Ducal Castle, Szczecin

Coordinates:53°25′34″N14°33′37″E/ 53.42611°N 14.56028°E/53.42611; 14.56028
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Ducal Castle
General view of the castle
Map
General information
Architectural styleGothic,Pomeranian mannerism
Town or citySzczecin
CountryPoland
Coordinates53°25′34″N14°33′37″E/ 53.42611°N 14.56028°E/53.42611; 14.56028
Construction started1346
Completed1428
Renovated1958–1980
Design and construction
Architect(s)Wilhelm Zachariasz Italus
(mannerist reconstruction)

TheDucal Castle,also known as thePomeranian Dukes' Castle,[a]andSzczecin Castle,[b]is arenaissancecastlein the city ofSzczecin,Poland, located at the Castle Hill in theStare Miasto(Old Town) neighbourhood, near theOderriver. It is built in thegothicandPomeranian mannerismarchitectural style. The castle was the seat of thedukesofPomerania-Stettinof theHouse of Pomerania,who ruled theDuchy of Pomeraniafrom 1121 to 1637. The building history originates in 1346, when DukeBarnim IIIbegan the construction of the ducal housing complex, and continues to 1428, when, under the rule ofCasimir V,it was expanded, forming the castle. Currently, it is one of the largest cultural centres in theWest Pomeranian Voivodeship,Poland.

History

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Barnim the Greatof Pomerania-Stettin erected the castle within Szczecin's walls against the will of the burghers in 1346; an older Pomeranian fortification had been leveled in 1249.[1]In 1490 the castle was partially reconstructed forBogusław X's wedding withAnna Jagiellonka(daughter of KingCasimir IV Jagiellon).[2]

Between 1573 and 1582 the castle was rebuilt again, this time in themanneriststyle for DukeJohn Frederickby Italian stonemasons according to design by Wilhelm Zachariasz Italus.[3][4]Two new wings were added to close the courtyard before the medieval southern and eastern wings.[3]The main gate was adorned with ducal crest, the eastern wing was enhanced and the northern wing was intended for chapel.

In 1648, due to the tenets of thePeace of Westphalia,the castle become a seat of Swedish governor.[5]Before 1705, another reconstruction prepared the castle forthe Queen of Poland,Catherine Opalińska,who lived here with her daughtersAnnaandMarie Leszczyńska(futureQueen of France) and a small court between 1705 and 1711.[5]In 1711 KingStanisław I Leszczyński,seeking refuge from pursuingSaxonandRussianforces, joined his wife and daughters at the castle.[5]

After theGreat Northern War,in 1720, the city of Stettin becomePrussianand the castle was allocated to the garrison commanderChristian August, Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst,whose daughter Sophie Friederike Auguste (the futureCatherine II of Russia) was born here in 1729 and was raised in the castle.[5]

Under Swedish and later Prussian rule, the castle was extensively modified. In 1840-1842, a tower inClassical architecturein allusion to the architecture ofKarl Friedrich Schinkelwas erected, and the south wing was built in the style ofFrederician Rococo.[6]

Polish conservators maintain that these modifications during Prussian rule in the 19th century were barbaric,[6]devastating the many Renaissance elements in the castle (arcades, attics, vaulting).[2]Eventually about 60% of the castle was destroyed duringWorld War II(August 1944).[5]

Under Polish rule, the castle was rebuilt between 1958 and 1980 with some modifications. The castle was seen as a point of contact with the lost Slavic past of Szczecin, supporting and legitimizing theexpulsion of the German populationand consequentPolonizationof the city.[6]The castle was restored to its original 16th-century appearance according toMatthäus Merian's engraving of 1653 and other sources.[2]The reference to the Renaissance appearance was important because during that time the city, then part of theHoly Roman Empire,was ruled by theHouse of Griffin,whose Slavic or evenPiastdescent is debated among historians. The castle thus became alieu de mémoirefor the new inhabitants of Szczecin.

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  • View from one of the towers
    View from one of the towers
  • The Ducal Castle in Szczecin
    The Ducal Castle in Szczecin
  • The tower seen from the courtyard
    The tower seen from the courtyard
  • Side view with one of the towers
    Side view with one of the towers
  • Inner courtyard
    Inner courtyard
  • Former castle chapel
    Former castle chapel
  • Clock on the castle's clock tower
    Clock on the castle's clock tower
  • One of the chambers
    One of the chambers
  • Gate
    Gate
  • Culture and Tourism Center
    Culture and Tourism Center

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^Polish:Zamek Książąt Pomorskich;German:Schloss der Pommerschen Herzöge,Schloss der Pommerschen Fürsten
  2. ^German:Stettiner Schloss

References

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  1. ^Werner Buchholz,Pommern,Siedler, 1999, p.121,ISBN3-88680-272-8
  2. ^abc"History".zamek.szczecin.pl.Retrieved2009-12-28.
  3. ^ab"Historia".zamek.szczecin.pl(in Polish). Archived fromthe originalon 2010-01-20.Retrieved2009-12-28.
  4. ^Kazimiera Kalita Skwirzyńska, Ewa Prync-Pommerencke."Zamki i dwory renesansowe".www.pomorskiezamki.pl(in Polish). Archived fromthe originalon 2007-08-29.Retrieved2009-12-28.
  5. ^abcde"Szczecin".www.zamkipolskie.com(in Polish).Retrieved2009-12-28.
  6. ^abcPeter Oliver Loew, Christian Pletzing, Thomas Serrier (2006).Wiedergewonnene Geschichte: zur Aneignung von Vergangenheit in den Zwischenräumen Mitteleuropas(in German). Otto Harrassowitz Verlag.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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