Krzysztof Kalinowski

Review of MUZEUM Zamek Książąt Pomorskic...

Before 1124, on the castle hill there was a Slavic...

Before 1124, on the castle hill there was a Slavic stronghold with the wooden court of Prince Warcis aw I. After the transfer of the capital of the principality from Uznamia to Szczecin by prince Barnim I in 1235, the court was expanded.

The beginnings of today's castle date back to 1346, when Barnim III, breaking the privileges of the Szczecin patriciate, began the construction of the so-called stone house. A chapel of St. stood next to the stone house. Otto and the so-called large house with a prison tower. In 1428, a revolt broke out in the city caused by the poor and craftsmen. In return for suppressing the rebellion, Prince Kazimierz V received a considerable sum from the City Council for the expansion and strengthening of the stone court. The southern wing maintained in the late Gothic style was then built.

After the fire in 1530, reconstruction of the castle began. It lasted seven years, during which the stone house was rebuilt in the Renaissance style into a two-story building with a gable roof and clock tower. The east wing was also added.

In the years 1573-1582 prince Jan Fryderyk made a general reconstruction of the castle. The stone house and the church of St. Otto. The Gothic southern wing was left, the eastern wing was raised and the northern and western wings were added to it, closing the courtyard. A water pipe was also brought to the castle.
At the beginning of the 17th century, during the reign of Philip II and Francis (I), a two-story fifth wing was added behind the west wing (currently the museum wing), thus creating a second, small courtyard.

After the dying of the Gryfit dynasty, from 1637 the castle was the seat of the Swedish governor, and from 1720 - the Prussian garrison. In 1752 Frederick II the Great founded a mint in the museum wing.

During Prussian rule, the castle was rebuilt many times to adapt to the garrison located there. Many decorations have been removed. The greatest devastation of the castle was made by the Prussian garrison in the nineteenth century, when the vaults in the eastern wing were demolished, the southern wing was completely rebuilt, the cloisters were demolished, and inside the castle staircases and corridors were constructed.

After leaving the garrison in 1902, the castle gradually fell into devastation. Renovation work to restore the appearance of the former residence was undertaken in 1925, but it ceased a year later. Despite many plans, the German authorities did not undertake a comprehensive renovation of the castle until the outbreak of World War II. In 1944, the castle was severely damaged during the Allied air raids.