View of castle tower from Korsarzy Street

The most popular architectural theme chosen by painters working in Szczecin in the first half of the 20th century was the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes (Königliches Schloβ), identifying the city and permanently inscribed in its landscape. The beginnings of the brick ducal residence date back to the middle of the 14th century, the time of Barnim III (1300-1368) from the Griffin dynasty. Over the centuries, the Castle was repeatedly rebuilt and destroyed by fires and wars. It suffered most severely at the end of World War II, during the carpet bombing of 1944. Its reconstruction was completed in 1980, restoring it to its 16th century Renaissance appearance. Today, the Castle consists of five wings surrounding a large and small courtyard and three towers, including the Bell Tower with the main entrance from Korsarzy Street (Groβe Ritterstraβe). The artists' motives for choosing the Castle as the theme of their works were manifold. At the end of the 19th century, interest in historic architecture increased, which was undoubtedly connected with the decision in 1873 to demolish the fortifications and transform Szczecin into a modern metropolitan centre. A visible sign of the city's urban transformation was the construction of representative viewing terraces (Hakenterasse), today's Wały Chrobrego, between 1901 and 1921. Painting compositions, faithfully reproducing architectural details, was an artistic record of transience, impermanence and passing. After the First World War, old buildings began to arouse interest because of their historical and patriotic value. They were a symbol of the glorious past. Commemorating the remains of the Griffin ducal family became a patriotic duty for Szczecin artists. The view of the Bell Tower became a popular depiction of the Castle, understood as a symbol of the past glorious times, and painted as a school exercise.

Małgorzata Peszko