View of Szczecin Castle

Szczecin artists’ works in the second half of the 19th century documented the changes occurring in the buildings along the riverside, but some of them idealised reality. One of them was a woodcut from 1866 by Hans Löscher (before 1850-after 1907), a tradesman, probably an amateur painter. He was a bookshop assistant at Schulzenstraβe (Sołtysia Street) and later ran a company called Spezial-Geschäft für häusliche Kunstarbeiten at König-Albert-Straβe (Śląska Street), selling art materials. He painted several views of the Castle, including the interior of the Castle Church of St. Otto, documenting the renovation of the nave in 1862. A woodcut from 1866 shows the Castle from the side of the main moat, with the north wing and the buildings below. It was made on the arrival of Friedrich Wilhelm I (1802-1875), Prince Elector of Hesse-Kassel, after he had lost power as the result of the Austro-Prussian War. After the Prussian victory, his lands were incorporated into the Prussian state and he went into exile in Prague, stopping in Szczecin on the way. The woodcut adorned one of the pages of Illustierte Zeitung of 21 July 1866. On the next page of the newspaper, there was a text with the history of the construction of the Szczecin Castle and a description of its current purpose, especially the royal room with a tower in the northern wing for the prince, guarded by a double guard. The text informs that the guest, as a prisoner of war, was brought to the city by a special train from Magdeburg and was welcomed at the station by the highest military dignitaries, and then escorted by them to the Castle. The Prince was allowed to go outside the Castle and walk around the town in the company of Major von Oertzen.

Małgorzata Peszko