Wisdom has built her house

Well, what better could we await of THIS Castle.

This particular Polish Museum is unique. It is unique both in quality, and spirit. It is unique in history and people. Therefore, no wonder that again we can participate in something very special, namely – in an excellent exhibition.

In this Castle everything is seen, and felt in a different dimension, even the stumble on the pavement of the courtyard is different than on the ordinary, some kind of urban one. So on the 14th of September (it is a special day for the Teutonic Knights, because it is the Day of the Exaltation of the Cross), I had the great honor and incredible pleasure of participating in this other dimension, in something special. It was the vernissage of the newest exhibition “Wisdom has built her house…” The State of Teutonic Order in Prussia.

For quite a while, in the past years, nothing was happening here. The last big exhibitions were held in 2007 (Imagines Potestatis), 2009 (About Johann Carl Schultz) and 2010 (Artistic Foundations in the Teutonic state in Prussia).

So nothing for a long time … Until today.

The vernissage was honored by the Grand Master himself. A little reminder: on August 22, 2018, Frank Bayard, the former General Steward of the Order, was elected the Grand Master.

Over 700 objects and artifacts were brought to the exhibition, including the candle holder of Queen Sofia (this artifact had already visited our castle, during the Amber Contexts exhibition in 2011). But there is also a completely unique “guest” – “A story about the beginnings of the Teutonic Order”, borrowed from the Vatican Library. And another  splendid piece of art – unique, because it is the only such – the epitaph of Bartholomeus Boreschow. The “Cabinet” Madonna from the Pelplin collection came too.

The exhibition presents numerous documents. Among them there is a document about the release of the office by the Grand Master Paul von Russdorf, or the document of April 1525, in which Albrecht the Margrave of Brandenburg, Prince in Prussia, in the presence of Commissioner Jerzy Bażyński assures that the Prussian States have accepted the terms of the peace he has made with the Polish king Zygmunt (The Old).

We will also find a huge collection of liturgical books, such as a beautiful missal from the mid Fifteenth century, or the Life of St. Dorothy from Mątowy Wielkie (Groß Montau).

There are sculptures, like my beloved Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia, or Madonna from Mątowy Wielkie (Groß Montau), or the famous Pietà from Nowe Miasto Lubawskie (Neumark in Westpreußen), or Madonna as Sedes Sapientiae from the Gdańsk National Museum (which unfortunately does not deserve this name), there is also the famous Christ in Ogrójec (Gethsemane).

There are militaria that I haven’t even had the opportunity to see. So I can’t even write anything about the grand master’s armor. It is the one about which rumors circulate that it could be a witness to the Krakow homage from 1525.

There are also wax tablets, and many, many other artifacts from archeological research.

However, I have two comments. Only two. What for the Chief Critic of All Projects is simply nothing.

One note applies to lighting creators: there is now some irrational fashion for spot lighting. Dear “lighting technicians”, visitors are supposed to SEE, NOTICE the exhibitions. So the artifacts are supposed to be “obvious to the eye”. The objects on exhibitions are to be legible. Details are to be visible for contemplation. Unfortunately, instead, they are literally killed and flattened by light at all exhibitions (also here), and therefore their significance has often been offset by light points. And by “blinding” some of the objects (as it does not apply to all exhibits here), at the same time – you darkened the descriptions. Not all visitors recognize the object, so it is worth allowing read the description. This applies to all (unfortunately) exhibitions in Poland.

And the second remark concerns the arrangement of the exhibition itself: the platform in the second dormitory. Invisible, dark, very low. But high enough that a person with sight problems would stumble over.

Below are some pictures of nasty quality, because cell photos … But next time they will be camera!

Published in: on 16/09/2019 at 10:54  Leave a Comment  
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At leisure – a bit of Chełmno (Culm) and Torun at dusk

Day off…

I learned to cherish each day off like the best delicacy. Especially, as my season seems to be a very long one – with the end in January. Well… we had a day off at the same time, and almost in the same company.  So we started off in the morning. It means – well after 9:00 a.m. we finally decided to move.

Our aim was Torun (Thorn), with a short stop in Chełmno (Culm) on our way. Unfortunately the days are getting shorter (thanks to the stupid time change, giving nothing but earlier darkness), and additionally – because we did not take the highway – in Chełmno we had time only to visit the High Church of the town (popularly called the… St. Mary’s). The reason for it was the lack of time on the way to Torun. As Torun was our day’s target.

But, it doesn’t mean we did not have time to drop in for a tasty chocolate cake and a delicious apple pie in Vanilla Cafe (just upstairs of the flower shop in the center of the town). It seems we did not lack the time for this.

However, Chełmno is a town for a whole day’s visit. For one can’t just walk past the details on the buildings, which although still awaiting better times – retained their charm. How not to sink in the soothing silence of the town’s churches, or how not to walk down the streets – yearning for the good old long gone times of the gossip on the thresholds… So we shall return to Chełmno in spring, when there will be neither itching chill of the wind, nor the drizzle, successfully discouraging to hunt for a good camera shot.

So – promising ourselves a longer spring visit, we finally took off for Torun.

And when we got there… Well, as always – we walked without a rush, and in fact without any purpose. As it is so difficult to decide what to touch first, what to see first. Should it be the Leaning Tower, or the Saint Johns’ Cathedral, or maybe St. James soaked in the purple light of the setting sun, or maybe should it be rather the Town Hall… Finally – as always, we ended up in St. Mary’s

And then we took a stroll through the streets in the deepening dusk.

However Torun is not only one of Poland’s 14 UNESCO sites, it is not only the place to explore the untouched medieval architecture, or to feel the atmosphere – retained throught the centuries. It is not only the town where the famous Nicolaus Copernicus was born…

Torun is also a place to eat delicious dumplings (pierogi). So to maintain the tradition – we went to the Leniwa restaurant. The dumplings were more than worth a visit.

Honestly I can state, that our Torun visit was without any plan, nor aim. We went there just because we love the city, and have known it for a long time. My long historical family bonds keep me tied to the city very firmly…

So we did not have to see anything in particular, neither we needed to admire anything special, to know we visited a unique place on earth 😉

I managed to take some photos of pretty good sights both in Chełmno and in Torun. And of course, because I forgot the tripod – some of the photos are out of focus… And for this I am sorry. 😉

Published in: on 10/11/2013 at 23:58  Leave a Comment  
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St. Mary’s in Torun

Whenever I visit Torun, I mainly concentrate on St. Mary’s church…

It is hypnotic.

I do not treat it as a church from today’s perspective. I am amazed by its strong medieval message. We truly are dominated by the grandeur of the interior, and forced to look up. Today by looking UP – we mean looking at the splendid vaulted ceilings. But for a medieval man, it was looking farther, beyond. The ceiling of the church was Heaven itself, the site of God. In the middle ages with the very strong religiousness, it was an extremely important ideological message…

The construction of Torun’s St. Mary’s church started in … 1343. The same year as St. Mary’s Church in Gdansk, and was completed at the end of the century.

HERE is a short video of the church and here ANOTHER one… And ANOTHER…

To feel the atmosphere and to inhale the ages of history – you must come to Torun 🙂

Published in: on 29/10/2012 at 13:55  Leave a Comment  
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Torun’s UNESCO anniversary

It is a unique place on the map of Poland.

Torun…

Here – one can touch the gothic…

Here – Nicolaus Copernicus was born…

Here – one can eat probably the most smooth and tasty pierogi in Poland…

Here – one can taste the famous gingerbread…

And now – the town is celebrating its 15th anniversary of being inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List…

Congratulations My Favorite Town 🙂

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Published in: on 21/04/2012 at 17:40  Leave a Comment  
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Plauten (Pluty) – the reminiscence of holidays

I often go back to the memories of our November East-Prussian escapade.

Not only because it was finally that dream vacation, so very well deserved after a frantic season. Also, because we visited some important places along the way… Those were places important to the history of Europe, and now often forgotten and neglected. Deliberately forgotten, I am tempted to say…

The majority of the Warmia-Mazury Voivodship is today still almost Terra Incognita.

Tourists rather go to Masuria, and the travel agencies (except for absolutely a few, which understand the place) still do not see anything interesting in the off-roads of the former East Prussia. In schools, teachers continue to avoid the subject as sensitive, moreover, they know little about it. Warmia is being discussed in isolation from reality. And thus it still is not very clear what is this phenomenon called: Warmia (Ermland).

Meanwhile, near the border between Warmia with Natangia, on the road from Pieniężno (Mehlsack) to Górowo Iławeckie (Landsberg) there is a small village Pluty (Plauten).

I do not know whether it was important for the Great History, but it is certainly important for those who appreciate the beautiful views.

The village was founded near the old Prussian settlement of Pelten. It is known that around the year 1325 the Warmia chapter in the person of the provost Jordan built a castle here. Jordan managed the chapter, in place of Bishop Eberhard of Neisse who was seriously ill at that time. Soon he himself was elected Bishop of Warmia.

Parish in Pluty was established in the first half of 14th century. In 1326 the parish endowment appeared.

In 1410 during the Great War the village was destroyed. We know that more than a century later (in 1583) a parish school operated in the village.

Parish Church of St. Lawrence dates from the mid-fourteenth century. It was several times adapted, , first in the sixteenth century and then in 1801, it was extended in a westerly direction, and the tower was added. Barely visible today date “1521” in one of the top blind arches of the sacristy can be a certificate of completion of a phase of the temple’s construction. Church was consecrated by Bishop Martin Kromer in 1581.

The church was built on a rectangular plan, and it was built of fieldstone (in the basement) and brick (the walls). It was plastered recently (except the tower). It has two extensions: the north is the vestry and the south is the porch.The interior is baroque. And I have to trust the descriptions here, for when we got there during our peregrinations – the church was closed. It was raining cats and dogs, and the wind was quite bitter. Therefore neither of us at all had in mind to look for the Reverend, to ask him to open the temple for us.

From the descriptions I just know that the main altar dates from 1694, and that it was made ​​in Königsberg. The maker of the altar was probably Isaac Riga, or his workshop. Side altars are from the same (more or less) period. In one of the side altars there is a painting o “The Last Supper” by Peter Kolberg (a prominent East Prussian artist – 1702), the pulpit dates from 1732, the choir was made in the 19th century and organ – in the  early twentieth century The only medieval part of equipment are the granite font and stoup.In the Tower there is an original clock mechanism as well as two bells. And beneath the church floor there is a crypt with coffins.

“The old Prussian settlement is situated east of the village, on a hill 30 meters high (ca. 98 feet), overlooking the Wałsza River. The remains of walls and moats can be seen.” I had no opportunity to check this as it was raining 😉 …

Last year a fair amount of money was acquired from the EU for renovation of the cultural heritage of the village. And the result of the works could be seen in some places around the church… Hopefully the funds will appear sufficient, and the enthusiasm of the locals will not fade away.

 

The church seen from the road.It is situated on a hill. Whole Warmia is hilly…

it can be seen that some work has been done..

It is a shame that the tombstone serves as a step to the church !!!!! It is a shame and a scandal!

Hopefully the funds will appear sufficient

Still there is a lot to do around the church... after years of negligence

Published in: on 28/03/2011 at 22:08  Leave a Comment  
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St. Mary’s – spoken supplement

Earlier today I went to St. Mary’s in Gdansk. Haven’t been there for some time. So when T. asked me to take some pics of the Baptismal Font for  him I took the opportunity to visit this amazing church. After I did what I came for, I went to wonder around. As usually I took pictures of details and splendid vaulted ceilings. It definitely is my favorite church in Gdansk. But I have already written about it here.

This time I decided to record a short video. I have never done it before, until in Frombork this January 🙂

The quality is poor, but it is the content of the video that counts 😉

Here it is:

St. Mary’s – as seen on the 12th of February 2011

Maybe the next ones will be better… But definitely they will give more information about places worth seeing in Poland 🙂

Published in: on 12/02/2011 at 21:19  Leave a Comment  
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