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Zamek krzyżacki w Malborku (1997)

100%

HOCHLEITNER J.

Ochrona Zabytków

2017

issue Dodatek Specjalny. Dziedzictwo w Polsce.

107-112

Located in northern Poland, the castle of the Teutonic Order in Malbork is a mighty Gothic brick fortress constructed from the 13th to the 15th century and consisting of three clearly distinct, yet integrally interconnected parts: the High, Middle, and Low Castles. Built for the Teutonic Knights, it was the seat of the Grand Master for almost two hundred years from 1309. Then, from the late 18th century, it was one of the Polish royal residences. Many of the construction techniques and solutions applied in the Malbork fortress were then used not only in the other castles of the Teutonic Order, but also in the broadly understood Gothic architecture of Central and Eastern Europe. The Malbork castle complex has been the object of conservation works from the 19th century to the present day. As such, it is a perfect example of the evolution of the modern theory and practice of conservation in its social dimension, as well as the scientific and artistic aspect. Criteria: (ii), (iii), (iv) Conservation work in the sacral area of Malbork Castle Understanding the history and architecture of the world’s largest Gothic brick castle can be difficult without a grasp of its religious heritage and the turbulent and eventful past of the surrounding land. Malbork castle was built in the Middle Ages by the military Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, known as the Teutonic Knights, which was invited by Prince Konrad I of Mazovia to undertake an evangelisation campaign in Prussia region. From the early 14th century, Malbork was the seat of the Grand Master of the Order. In the middle of the 15th century it was captured by the king of Poland and served as a Polish royal residence until 1772. After the collapse of the Polish state, at the end of the 18th century, Prussian authorities demolished some elements and rebuilt the castle numerous times, which significantly deformed its original architectural shape. However, in the early 19th century the fortress was declared a monument and subject to wide-ranging restoration works. The main originator of the general concept for the restoration and reconstruction of the castle at the turn of the 19th century was Conrad Steinbrecht. His reconstruction project was based wide-ranging archival studies and field research and went down to posterity as an important case of scientific conservation. In the early months of 1945 the castle – declared a German ‘fortress’ – became the scene of desperate fighting which turned it into ruins. Among the most severely damaged part were the tower and the castle church, together with the Chapel of St. Anne located directly below it. However, a relatively large number of elements of interior decoration and architectural details were preserved and a portal called the ‘Golden Gate’ survived unscathed. The Gate was not only an integral part of the architectural structure of the castle church but also a key element of its iconographic programme. In such a condition Malbork castle was again taken over by the Polish state. The socialist political system imposed in post-war Poland favoured a heated discussion regarding the future of the fortress, since the German politics of memory before the World War II had presented it as one of the foremost symbols of Germanic culture in this part of Europe. Therefore, at a time when the trauma of the occupation was still fresh among Poles, the fortress was perceived as a sinister symbol of German Nazism. During the early postwar years, there were even voices that postulated the complete demolition of the ruined castle. However, the first clearing and protective work in the castle had already started in 1945. Initially, it was spontaneous in nature and undertaken by Polish settlers, mostly active in the scouting and touring movements. The artefacts rescued from the ruined chapel and church were stored away and then included in various museum exhibitions. These activities largely contributed to the laying out of an extensive conservation programme aimed at repairing the war damage in the castle and restoring its former appearance. In scientific circles, the ruined church raised a number of discussion mostly related to its architectural form and ultimate function. It should be noted that the sacral area was actually the only part of the castle complex that survived almost intact in its original form until the end of the 19th century due to the fact that it had been regularly used as a place of Catholic worship. Thus Polish society’s universal commitment to the cause of saving the most damaged parts of the castle focused mostly on protecting the church together with the colossal statue of Our Lady that adorned the elevation of its presbytery. The first scheduled and systematic conservation works were carried out in the castle in 1957-1961. The implementation of further and more extensive works was only rendered possible thanks to a complex project comprising an arrangement plan on the sacral interiors that was finally implemented in 2014-2016. First, the destroyed outer part of the Church of the Most Holy Virgin Mary and the Chapel of St. Anne were reconstructed and covered with a high roof, while the interior received a ceiling of reinforced concrete. After these protective works were carried out, it was possible to arrange an exhibition inside the church presenting the state of preservation of the castle complex before, and after, its destruction during the warfare in 1945. Various concepts for the restoration of the church were considered during many years of discussions. The ideas fluctuated between maintaining the church interior in a state of ruin as a commemoration of the wartime plight of the castle and the suggestion of preparing a digital image reconstruction of its former shape with the help of laser and computer technologies. The establishment of the Mater Dei Foundation in 2007 provided valuable support for the idea of reconstruction of the sacral space of the castle. This non-profit organisation commenced activities aimed at reconstructing the above-mentioned statue of Our Lady. The definitive schedule of restoration works in this part of the castle originated in 2012 as a result of consultations with members of the Museum Board and Conservation Commission of Museum. The whole northern wing of the High Castle together with the neighbouring buildings – the Bell-Ringer’s Cabin and Priests’ Tower – were comprised within the scope of the scheduled conservation and construction works. The restoration of the historic architectural space in the form it had before 1945, as well as rendering the church interior accessible to visitors and arranging a new exhibition space, were indicated among the primary goals of the reconstruction. The last remaining questions for the originators of the restoration project were related to the church vaulting and the method of restoring the eight meter high mosaic statue of Our Lady in the outer niche of the church. Another – and equally important – issue was related to the church flooring, and particularly to the determination of its historic material. The earliest records from the 17th century indicate the floor was made of stone. This floor was, however, taken up by Steinbrecht in the 1880’s. Eventually, after the source of origin of that stone was determined, the decision was taken to restore the flooring in its original form. Currently, the interior of the High Castle church, which has been rendered accessible to visitors, presents the exposed or reconstructed elements dating back to different stages of its construction. For the sake of clarity, the post-war architectural reconstructions were plastered in order to contrast with the original Gothic elements. During the reconstruction of the vaulting, historical building techniques were used, which were reproduced thanks to the historic artefacts from the Malbork collection of architectural details. The last stage of the conservation works in the church included furnishings from the period when the temple belonged to the Society of Jesus (1666-1780); in addition, the crypt left by the Jesuits was also examined. Hereby, thanks to the efforts of Polish monuments conservation experts, visitors coming to the Malbork castle complex can get a much better grasp of its architecture and its history.

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1 Ochrona Zabytków

1 HOCHLEITNER J.

1 2017

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Zamek krzyżacki w Malborku (1997)