Albums of the Castle Recovery

The 19th and 20th century studio of the History Department stores, among others photographic documentation called Albums Rebuilding the Castle. It is a set of 49 volumes containing about 2,400 photos, which is one of the most important sources of the iconographic history of reconstruction and conservation works from the first years after the war to the present day.

As a result of the military operations carried out in 1945 from the end of January to the beginning of March, the castle complex suffered enormous losses, the tragic image of which is shown by the first years. The fire in 1959, which destroyed the roofing of the northern wing and a large part of the western wing, was also captured, as well as the progress of the immediate repair work, starting with the provision of a makeshift covering. Subsequent pages of the Albums reveal the various stages of lifting the castle from the ruins, appreciated in a unique way – being entered on the UNESCO List in 1997.

The authors of the photos are the photographers of the MZM Photography Studio, as well as employees of the History Department. The first yearbooks are filled with photos of famous, distinguished photographers: Jan Bułhak, his student – Henryk Hermanowicz and Kazimierz Lelewicz.

Recommended reading:

Wiesława Połom-Jakubowicz, Albums of the Castle Reconstruction as a source for research on the course of construction and conservation works in the years 1945-2005, Studia Zamkowe vol. III, Malbork 2009