The Castle - A New History. The Grand Opening of the North Wing

A grand celebration is underway at the Pomeranian Dukes' Castle. Throughout the weekend, visitors can tour the north wing of the building, which has reopened after years of renovation, and participate in accompanying events. Szczecin residents can enjoy many attractions, including the beautifully renovated castle chambers and the observation deck.

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Starting Saturday, visitors can admire more than just the halls and chambers that were inaccessible to visitors for years. The Pomeranian Dukes' Castle also opens to the catacombs, armory, terrace by the escarpment, and the upper terrace on the castle roof, from which they can admire the panorama of Szczecin. The open north wing also offers spaces such as the Bogusław X Hall, the Lubinus Study, and the Princely Chambers. The Cellar Theatre at the Crypt has regained its home. The Catherine Hall now houses a conference room. The historic cellars have undergone meticulous conservation, and the sarcophagi of the Gryfit family have been returned to the Gothic Princely Crypt – these, by the way, are of particular interest to visitors. Archaeological artifacts have been secured and displayed in the basement, visible under glass floors and in display cases. It is here, in the Castle's basement, that the history and spirit of the past are most felt.

The rooms on the first and second floors of the north wing are also beautifully finished: the John Frederick Hall, the Elizabethan Hall, the King Eric of Pomerania Hall, and the King Stanisław Leszczyński Hall. On the first floor, we can admire the exhibits in the Lubinus Study and the Prince's Chamber. From the terrace on the third level, we can admire beautiful views of the city, the Castle courtyard, and its impressive towers.

The Prince Bogusław Hall also looks magnificent - it consists of exquisitely decorated walls, candelabra, a stage and an auditorium.

The grand opening of the north wing was accompanied by attractions for children and adults alike. An executioner and a blacksmith stood on the terrace by the escarpment. The former demonstrated how the guilty were punished in ancient times, while the latter displayed swords, helmets, and knightly armor. In the castle courtyard, displays were held, referencing the history of the castle and the Gryfit family. The program also included guided tours, a photo booth, a court procession, a group lesson in Belgian dance, medieval combat demonstrations by the Trzygłowa Castle Troop, music and art classes for children, sketching the castle with students and teachers from the Constantin Brancusi State Secondary School of Fine Arts in Szczecin, and a night tour.

Attractions related to the opening of the north wing await us on Sunday. Guided tours of the Castle begin at 11:00 AM, and there will be a photo booth, an executioner's station, a Sunday noon concert by the Consortium Sedinum in the Prince Bogusław X Hall (tickets required), an outdoor performance by the Griffin Guard, and Renaissance entertainment.

As a reminder, the north wing was closed after the events of May 11, 2017, when soil erosion (a void in the ground) caused one of the pillars to collapse, taking with it fragments of the ceilings on the subsequent floors. The construction contractor, Mostostal Warszawa SA, was tasked with reconstructing these interiors in accordance with conservation guidelines. Reconstructing the vaults was also a significant part of the work. The northern escarpment was covered with over 20,000 seedlings. The escarpment's design was inspired, among other things, by a map of Szczecin from 1625, and the design "facilitates the legibility of the historical boundaries of the Old Town and emphasizes the representative character of the Castle." Research accompanying the work yielded, among other things, discoveries from the late Bronze Age and the Hallstatt period (ca. 650–400 BC), the period when a Lusatian culture stronghold existed here. In the basement, the remains of what was likely an above-ground dwelling, a utility pit, and a hearth from this period were discovered. Numerous fragments of clay vessels (including bowls, jugs, cups, and plates), animal bone fragments (cattle, pig, beaver), and flint waste were found. ©℗

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