Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek, Northern Poland

2024 By justmovingaround in Sightseeing Tags: Architecture, Museums, Poland

If you ever find yourself in northern Poland, Olsztynek is worth a stop. This small town in Masuria is home to an open-air museum where traditional wooden houses, barns, and workshops give you a feel for how people lived here over a century ago. The site covers over 90 hectares and includes more than 70 historic buildings arranged like a real village.

Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek | Lebendige Traditionen: Volksarchitektur in Olsztynek | Traditions vivantes : Architecture populaire à Olsztynek | Żywe tradycje: Architektura ludowa w Olsztynku

In an age of rapid modernisation, there’s something deeply grounding about stepping into the world of past centuries – a world shaped by hand-built cottages, wooden churches, and time-honoured rural customs. Across Europe, open-air museums offer a unique window into the everyday lives of people long gone, preserving not just buildings but ways of life.

One such place can be found in the heart of Northern Poland, in the small town of Olsztynek. The Museum of Folk Architecture, an ethnographic park in Olsztynek, was not the first folk park I visited. But this one was beyond expectations. The collection of rural houses, their interiors, and equipment is impressive. In fact, the place is an enormous park, where you can walk around, from time to time, stepping inside a building. Although all houses and other buildings had been moved to this place from a larger region, you have the impression you are in a village that has its own church, school, and many craftsmen houses. Walking around this place, we only have to keep in mind that the houses gathered there belonged to wealthier rural families. Still, the place reflects how people lived in this region a hundred or two hundred years ago.

Museum of Folk Architecture Olsztynek Poland

Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek | Lebendige Traditionen: Volksarchitektur in Olsztynek | Traditions vivantes : Architecture populaire à Olsztynek | Żywe tradycje: Architektura ludowa w Olsztynku

Outdoors in the park

Established in 1969, the park traces its roots back to the early 20th century when the idea of preserving East Prussia’s folk architecture took shape. In years 1938 to 1942 the museum undertook a complex task of relocating characteristic buildings from East Prussia to Olsztynek. Despite challenges, 12 structures successfully made the journey, laying the foundation for the museum’s unique collection. Post-World War II, in 1950, restoration efforts commenced, securing the facilities in collaboration with the conservator of monuments. Further expansion took place in the late 1950s. Over the years, it continued to evolve, incorporating new objects and artefacts to its collections.

The material culture and folk art collections of the Museum of Folk Architecture exceed 14,000 items, offering a comprehensive view of the cultural heritage of the region. The museum’s collections are housed in 80 mostly wooden structures of large and small rural architecture, each with diverse functions, designs, and constructions. These encompass residential and religious buildings, alongside farmsteads and industrial structures.

The majority of the objects date back to the mid-19th century. From the 1870s onwards, bricks became increasingly common as a building material. Before that, houses were constructed using pine wood, employing either crown post or half-timbered structures. In a crown post structure, a vertical post, known as the crown post, stands in the center of the building, supporting the weight of the roof. The crown post connects the collar beam, which is positioned horizontally and links the tops of opposing rafters. A half-timbered structure, also known as timber framing or half-timbering, is a construction method where the framework of a building is exposed on the exterior, creating a visible structural skeleton. In a half-timbered structure, the spaces between the wooden framework are often filled with materials like brick, plaster, or wattle and daub. The term “half-timbered” comes from the fact that only a portion of the structure is made of exposed timber, typically forming a decorative pattern or providing structural support.

Just a few of numerous houses gathered in the park

More on half timbering (in Northern France)

The interiors

The objects showcased in the Museum of Folk Architecture on expansive area of thirty-five hectares originate from areas that were part of East Prussia at the time of the museum’s inception in 1913 originating from the regions of Warmia, Masuria, Powiśle, the so-called Little Lithuania, and Sambia. The first three regions are currently within the boundaries of the Warmian-Masurian region in Poland, while Little Lithuania covers areas in the eastern Republic of Lithuania and the northern part of the Kaliningrad Oblast. Sambia is located in the Kaliningrad Oblast. The buildings were either translocated or reconstructed post-World War II. The museum also features objects that do not fall within the territorial boundaries of the mentioned regions.

The local school

The local church

Within these buildings, exhibits showcase traditional methods of work and rural rituals from the 19th and 20th centuries. The cultural landscape’s authenticity is further enhanced by livestock, household gardens, and traditional cultivation. In this region, visitors will encounter horses, goats, and Skudde sheep, considered the oldest of the domesticated Nordic sheep breeds. The Skudde breed was developed in East Prussia and thrived from northern Lithuania to the Kaszuby region. It was particularly popular in Warmia and Masuria. During World War II, Skudde sheep are freely walking around the park you can indeed see those Skudde sheep walking around houses. They reside in one of the farmsteads reconstructed in the museum (they can be seen in the door of one of tbe buildings on one of the photos above).

Various equipment on display in the Museum of Folk Architecture

After entering the gate of the park we were free to walk across the entire park. It was also possible to stay there longer than during the opening hours. There are many cameras on the premises, so the place is guarded. Still when you leave at later hour you can simply open a small door near the entrance gate from the inside.

The Masuria region is known for its beautiful nature, forests, lakes, and many opportunities for outdoor activities. It is also home to castles built by the Teutonic Order and wooden churches (one of them will be featured in an upcoming post). The Museum of Folk Architecture was an unexpected pleasure for me, providing historical insights and a peaceful place to spend time.

To my MASURIA photo gallery

To the MUSEUM OF FOLK ARCHITECTURE site

Traditions Alive: Folk Architecture in Olsztynek, Northern Poland

The Ishtar Gate of Babylon

2023 By justmovingaround in GERMANY, History, Sightseeing Tags: Architecture, Berlin, Historical Artefacts, Museums

With its deep-blue glazed bricks and long rows of lions and dragons, the Ishtar Gate remains one of the most iconic monuments of ancient Babylon. Now on display at Berlin’s Pergamon Museum, it offers a rare, tangible glimpse into Mesopotamian grandeur. In this post, I share a few reflections from finally seeing it in person — after years of reading about it — along with some context on how it ended up in Germany, and a brief note on the archaeological practices behind its removal.

Construction and Symbolism of the Ishtar Gate

The Ishtar Gate, constructed in the 6th century BCE during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar II, was one of the main entrances to the ancient city of Babylon (in present-day Iraq). Located on the northern side of the city, it was part of a grand complex of walls, gates, and palaces. Renowned for its striking design, the gate was dedicated to Ishtar, the Babylonian goddess of love, fertility, and war.

King Nebuchadnezzar II was a Babylonian king who ruled from 605–562 BCE. He is known for his military conquests, including the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. He is also remembered for his monumental building projects, such as the legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Ishtar Gate was built using baked bricks in varying shades of blue, glazed to achieve a glossy finish, making it a visually striking structure. The intense blue color symbolized the divine realm, evoking the sky and the presence of the gods, and was meant to impress and overwhelm all who approached.

Constructed in the Babylonian architectural style, the gate featured a tall arched entrance flanked by towers, forming a monumental threshold to the inner city. Its surface was adorned with reliefs of dragons, lions, and bulls arranged in alternating rows. Each animal was molded separately and then affixed to the wall, showcasing the technical mastery of the artisans. These creatures were not decorative alone – they carried deep symbolic meaning: dragons represented Marduk, Babylon’s chief deity; lions were associated with Ishtar, the goddess to whom the gate was dedicated; and bulls symbolized Adad, the god of storms.

The construction process was highly complex, requiring skilled artisans proficient in brick-making and glazed tile-work. But beyond craftsmanship, the gate served as a political and religious statement – a bold declaration of royal power and divine favor. As people passed through it, often during ritual processions, they experienced not only the grandeur of architecture, but also the ideological core of the Babylonian empire: a world governed by gods, ruled by kings, and expressed in stone and fire-glazed brick.

Blue glazed brickwork of the Ishtar Gate | Briques émaillées bleues de la porte d’Ishtar | Blaue glasierte Ziegel der Ischtar-Tor | Ladrillos vidriados azules de la Puerta de Ishtar | Mattoni smaltati blu della Porta di Ishtar | Niebieskie glazurowane cegły Bramy Isztar | Синие глазурованные кирпичи ворот Иштар | 伊什塔尔门的蓝色釉面砖 | イシュタル門の青い釉薬レンガ | 이슈타르 문에 사용된 푸른 유약 벽돌

Discovery and Reconstruction

The Ishtar Gate was rediscovered in the early 20th century by a team of German archaeologists led by Robert Koldewey. Koldewey had been excavating the site of Babylon since 1899, uncovering numerous significant structures and artifacts from the ancient city. In 1902, he began a targeted excavation to locate the Ishtar Gate, long known from ancient texts but yet to be identified.

After several months of work, his team uncovered part of the gate’s foundations, including fragments of its original blue-glazed bricks. Over the next few years, they carefully excavated and documented the remains, which proved to be in remarkably good condition, despite their age and centuries of exposure.

Eventually, the gate was dismantled and transported to Germany, where it was entrusted to a team of experts under the leadership of Wilhelm von Bode. The reconstruction process involved painstakingly fitting together thousands of pieces, including the glazed bricks and the intricately molded figures of animals and deities that once adorned the gate.

In 1930, the reconstructed Ishtar Gate was installed in the main hall of the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Although the museum had not been built specifically for the gate, it provided an appropriately grand setting for this monumental artifact. The Pergamon Museum, originally established in the early 20th century to house the Prussian royal collections, had grown to include major archaeological finds from across the ancient world. The Ishtar Gate, acquired in the 1920s along with other treasures from Babylon, became one of its most iconic exhibits.

German Archaeology. Influence and Criticism

In the early 20th century, German archaeologists emerged as some of the most prominent and influential figures in the field. At the time, archaeology was still a developing discipline, and German scholars helped define the methodologies and techniques that continue to influence archaeological practice today.

Among the most notable figures was Heinrich Schliemann, known for his excavations at Troy and Mycenae, and Robert Koldewey, whose work in Babylon, particularly on the Ishtar Gate, became internationally recognized. Other influential archaeologists included Ernst Curtius, who excavated Olympia, and Hermann Thiersch, who worked at Pergamon. Their research was often state-supported, with backing from the German government, which viewed archaeology as a means to assert cultural and political influence abroad.

Central to these efforts was the German Oriental Society (Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft, or DOG), founded in 1898 in Berlin. Dedicated to the study of the Middle East and Central Asia, the DOG played a key role in organizing expeditions and publishing scholarly work that shaped the image of the ancient Near East in Europe. The Society also positioned Germany in direct competition with Britain and France, both of which were conducting their own large-scale excavations. This created an atmosphere in which archaeology became a form of soft power, used to reinforce national prestige through cultural discovery.

The work of German archaeologists in the early 20th century has been criticized for various reasons. One of the main criticisms is that they were motivated by nationalist and imperialist interests and used archaeology to support these agendas. For example, some archaeologists saw themselves as uncovering the roots of a supposed Aryan race and used their work to support Nazi ideology. Another criticism is that German archaeologists were often more interested in exporting artifacts back to Germany rather than preserving them in the country of origin. This led to the removal of many important artifacts from their original context, which made it difficult for subsequent generations of archaeologists to properly study and interpret them. Additionally, some scholars have criticized German archaeologists for practicing a top-down approach to archaeology, which prioritizes the study of elites and high culture rather than the experiences of ordinary people. This approach can result in a skewed understanding of the past, which ignores the perspectives and contributions of marginalized groups.

By the late 1970s, the Iraqi government expressed a desire to repatriate the Ishtar Gate and other artifacts from the Pergamon Museum. However, the request was not granted, due to concerns about the safety and preservation of the artifacts, as well as disputes over ownership and legal claims.

If you’re curious to see more from the Pergamon Museum, I’ve shared a photo gallery just below.

More photos fom the PERGAMON MUSEUM

To my BERLIN site

Hadrian

2023 By justmovingaround in History Tags: ancient Rome, Berlin, Historical Artefacts, Historical Figures, Museums, Roman Empire

Among the Roman busts photographed in Berlin’s Altes Museum are some of the most fascinating figures of the Roman Empire – Emperor Hadrian, his beloved companion Antinous, his successor Antoninus Pius, and Marcus Aurelius, remembered by many from Gladiator. Their portraits reveal not only the faces of emperors and empresses, but also stories of power, philosophy, loyalty, and personal tragedy at the height of ancient Rome.

Among the photos of the Roman busts I photographed last year in Altes Museum in Berlin and posted last week, I found a portrait of Emperor Hadrian, as well as three other individuals close to him – his young friend and supposedly lover as well as his successor and second line successor. The latter you can remember from the Hollywood film ‘Gladiator’.

Let us meet them.

Emperor Hadrian of Rome

Hadrian was born on January 24th, AD 76, in Italica, Spain. He was the third of four children born to a well-connected family. His father was a cousin of the future emperor Trajan, and his mother came from a prominent Roman family. Hadrian was educated in Rome and pursued a career in politics and the military. He served as governor of several Roman provinces before becoming Emperor in AD 117, following the death of Trajan.

As Emperor, Hadrian is known for his travels throughout the Roman Empire and his efforts to consolidate and secure its borders. He is credited with commissioning many notable building projects, including the Pantheon in Rome and Hadrian’s Wall in northern Britain. He also founded several new cities, including Antinopolis in Egypt, and was a patron of the arts and sciences. Despite these achievements, Hadrian’s reign was marked by controversy and conflict. He was known for his authoritarian rule and harsh treatment of political opponents. He also faced several rebellions and wars, including the Second Jewish War and the Bar Kokhba revolt in Judea. Hadrian died on July 10th, AD 138, and was succeeded by Antoninus Pius. His legacy has been mixed, with some historians praising his accomplishments as a builder and statesman, while others criticize his policies and actions as emperor.

Antinous, Hadrian’s young and beloved friend

Antinous was a young Bithynian boy who was brought into Hadrian’s court when he was just 13 years old. The two quickly formed a bond, and Antinous became Hadrian’s constant companion, accompanying him on his travels throughout the Empire. There is much debate over whether their relationship was purely platonic or whether it was romantic in nature. Some scholars believe that Hadrian and Antinous were lovers, while others argue that their relationship was more of a mentor-mentee or father-son dynamic. What is known for certain is that Antinous had a profound impact on Hadrian’s life. When Antinous drowned in the Nile River at the age of 20, Hadrian was devastated. He declared Antinous a god, founded a city in his honor (Antinopolis), and commissioned numerous statues and busts of his beloved companion.

Emperor Antoninus Pius, Berlin Altes Museum

Emperor Antoninus Pius, the Hadrian’s successor

Antoninus Pius was a Roman emperor who ruled from 138 AD to 161 AD, succeeding Hadrian. He was born on September 19, 86 AD in Lanuvium, Italy. Antoninus was a successful lawyer before becoming emperor, and he was adopted by Hadrian as his successor shortly before Hadrian’s death. During his reign, Antoninus Pius focused on maintaining peace and stability within the Roman Empire. He avoided expanding the empire through military conquest, instead choosing to negotiate with neighboring tribes and maintain friendly relations. He also implemented various domestic policies to improve the lives of Roman citizens, including the construction of new buildings and public works. Antoninus Pius was known for his piety and dedication to the Roman religion. He funded the construction of several temples and supported the Roman priesthood. He was also a patron of the arts, commissioning many sculptures and other works of art during his reign. Antoninus Pius died on March 7, 161 AD in Lorium, Italy, at the age of 74. He was succeeded by his adopted sons, Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus (two emperors shared power as co-rulers!).

Emperor Marcus Aurelius

Marcus Aurelius was co-emperor with Lucius Verus from 161 to 169 AD. The two men were adopted brothers and ruled together as joint emperors following the death of Antoninus Pius. During their reign, they faced significant military challenges, including a war against the Parthian Empire and the Antonine Plague, which devastated the Roman Empire. Lucius Verus died in 169 AD, leaving Marcus Aurelius as the sole emperor.

During his reign, Marcus Aurelius was known for his administrative reforms, which helped stabilize the empire economically and politically. He also expanded the empire’s borders through successful military campaigns in Germany and Parthia. Despite his many accomplishments, Marcus Aurelius faced several challenges during his reign. He had to deal with frequent outbreaks of the Antonine Plague, which killed thousands of people across the empire. He also had to confront the Marcomanni, a Germanic tribe that frequently raided Roman territory.

While Marcus Aurelius is often praised for his philosophical writings and his efforts to reform the Roman Empire, his reign was not without criticism. One of the main criticisms of his reign was his reluctance to name a successor, which ultimately led to a succession crisis after his death (compare Commodus you could have seen in Gladiator, fiction but true in character). Another criticism of Aurelius was his tendency to prioritize military affairs over domestic matters. While he is credited with leading several successful military campaigns, his neglect of domestic issues such as inflation and corruption contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire. Additionally, Aurelius was not always successful in his attempts to promote Stoicism as a guiding philosophy for the Roman Empire. While he personally practiced Stoicism and wrote extensively on the topic, his efforts to implement it as the official philosophy of the empire were met with resistance from other factions, including the Senate. Finally, despite his reputation as a philosopher king, Aurelius was not immune to the corrupting influence of power. He was known to have engaged in political intrigue and used his position to punish political enemies, which contradicted his Stoic ideals of justice and fairness. Overall, while Aurelius is often held up as a model of Roman virtue and leadership, his reign was marked by both successes and failures, and his legacy is complex and multifaceted.

Roman Empress Annia Galeria Faustina Minor

Annia Galeria Faustina Minor (or Faustina II) was a Roman Empress, born in 130 AD in Rome as the daughter of Emperor Antoninus Pius and Empress Faustina the Elder. In 145 AD, she married Marcus Aurelius, who was then only his adopted son. Together, they had at least 13 children. Faustina II was known for her beauty and devotion to the goddess Juno. In Rome, she had many buildings and temples dedicated to her name, including the famous Arches of Faustina. After the Empress’ death in 175 AD, Marcus Aurelius declared her a goddess and ordered the construction of many temples in her honor. Additionally, Faustina II was depicted on Roman coins and medals for many years after her death, demonstrating her popularity and significance in those times.