Epitaph of the family of Bernd Otto von Ramin

Multifaceted painted epitaphs were popular in Pomerania in the 2nd half of the 17th century. The work on display was painted on three oak boards of irregular shape. The rich iconography that sets this epitaph apart from similar Pomeranian Baroque monuments contrasts with its relatively modest execution, without a sculptural setting. It makes use of classic themes related to the symbolism of death. The Crucifixion scene illustrates the idea of the redemption of sins, which is further emphasised by the motif of Adam's skull and crossed tibias appearing beneath the cross. The Resurrection scene juxtaposed with it testifies to the hope of eternal life for the founder's family members kneeling at the cross. The coats of arms that appear in the frame legitimise the state affiliation and emphasise the origin of the portrayed and their connections with other noble families of Pomerania, Brandenburg and Upper Saxony. Depicted on the epitaph, Bernd Otto von Ramin (1620-1682), owner of Stolec (formerly Stolzenburg, West Pomeranian Voivodeship), was the son of Friedrich von Ramin (1555-1634) and Anna von der Gröber (1582-1656). He came from a noble family originating in Ramin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern), from a family line settled in Dobra near Szczecin. His grandfather Friedrich von Ramin, owner of Dobra in 1555, purchased the nearby Blankenburg estate and renamed it Stolzenburg. Bernd von Ramin and his wife Ilsa Sabina von Berge (1625-1684) of Werbelow (Brandenburg), according to the records, had twelve children. The epitaph, commissioned for the church in Stolec in 1668, was founded by him while he was still alive, probably to commemorate the death of his two sons, above whose heads there are red crosses. Justyna Bądkowska