Castle tower from Korsarzy Street

One of the most popular architectural themes chosen by artists working in Szczecin in the first half of the 20th century was the Castle of the Pomeranian Dukes (Königliches Schloβ), for several centuries an element identifying the city, permanently inscribed in its landscape. The choice of this compositional theme at the end of the 19th century was dictated by the growing interest in historic architecture, of which there were few left in Szczecin, and which could have been altered or destroyed at any time. After the First World War the old buildings became attractive not only for their history, but also for local patriotism. They were a symbol of their former glory, and commemorating the Griffin legacy became a kind of patriotic duty. One of the most popular shots of the castle was the view of the Bell Tower from Korsarzy Street (Groβe Ritterstraβe). The view was also taken by an unknown artist, whose print bears a barely legible signature Winker or Finken(feldts). It is assumed that the work was created before 1925, because the tower is shown in the version from before the renovation in 1925-1927. The Bell Tower, one of the three castle towers with the characteristic onion-shaped helmet and the annex of the entrance to the castle church, was known from numerous photographs, which were used as models for prints. The artist distorted its appearance in several places, and the inaccuracies can be seen when the graphic work is juxtaposed with photographs of the castle from the same period. The author's intention was to capture the impression of looking at the historical tower and the ruined tenement houses surrounding it, not devoid of charm and taking on an almost fairy tale appearance. An analogous motif and manner of depicting the Bell Tower can be found in a work from 1919 by the German graphic artist, illustrator and vedutist Paul Geissler (1881-1965), reproduced on the cover of the book Stettin, hrsg. vom Magistrat from 1925. Both compositions are close to the photograph from Dürer's Photographic Atelier in Szczecin, which presumably provided their iconographic model.

Małgorzata Peszko