The Ueckermünde palace counts among the few
possessions remaining from the property of the Pomeranian Dukes on German soil and can
still be admired today. For almost 200 years, the town hall has had its residence here and
it is probably due to this fact that it is still in existence.
What could suit a historical building like this better than
a historical reference, a museum ?
And, indeed, there is a museum housed within the old walls of
the Ueckermünde palace. What started off as a 323 square feet local history showroom, has
since developed into a frequently visited facility and carries a reference to the region
it is based in in its name: Haffmuseum-Museum at the Lagoon.
For a long period of time, this lining-up of exhibits did not
create the impression it could ever develop into a major show. It could only survive owing
to the dedication of some people interested in local history and culture. Today, visitors
meet an attractive Haffmuseum that covers an area of three floors in the palace. Attractions
are to be found from the very beginning at the entrance door which is extensively decorated
with bar tracery. Above the entrance door, there is a replica of a sandstone relief by Hans
Schenk, called Scheusslich, portraying Philipp I, the builder of the palace that was erected
on the remains of the former castle. The original relief was removed from the Ueckermünde
palace in 1938 and taken to Stettin where it can still be found in the palace today.
Guests are welcomed at the reception that is combined with a
shop and computer for information. The medieval winding staircase leads you to the upper
exhibition rooms and finally to the palace tower that allows a wonderful view over the town
and lagoon. On the uppermost floor you find the fields of shipping, fishing and brick and
tile making, industries which used to be lines of business of utmost importance for this
minor town at the Stettin Lagoon. Plenty of exhibits originating from production processes
and models help the visitor get a clear picture of these industries. Latest achievement of
the museum is its expansion to the loft of the palace that had so far been unused.
Far more than half a million Marks were invested by the town to reconstruct and refurbish
that part. More than 2,150 square feet of exhibition area were furnished with modern
equipment and allow various fields to tell about their history, as for instance the foundry
and railways industries, the production of ship's lanterns or the school system. A copy of
an original ship's cabin enables the visitor to imagine life onboard a ship sailing on
inland waterways.
On the central floor, there are two large exhibition halls.
They present information about the pre- and early history or the history of the town and
palace to the visitor. Exhibits like weapons, articles from households and the crafts,
paintings or the replica of a costume worn by Duke Philipp I are well worthwhile a visit.
For several years now, the Haffmuseum has not only offered
its permanent exhibitions but has repeatedly organized special exhibitions requiring a
lot of time, energy and money. The themes have been manifold: art, fostering of customs
and hobbies, regional history, crafts and plenty more. These exhibitions are very popular
and tempt even the locals to come and visit their museum once in a while.
When visiting the Haffmuseum, you should not miss to see the
Ratssaal (conference hall) reconstructed in 1992, displaying a unique vault originating
from the 16th century.
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China Bowl
Costume Worn by Duke Philipp I
Knight's Armour
Signet
Slavonic Boat
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