Conservation and Restoration of the 14 c. Castle in Lidzbark Warmiński – the Pearl of Gothic Architecture in Poland – stage III
Museum of Warmia and Mazury ·Poland
About this project
<p>The project concerns converting a part of the castle building into a cultural facility. The investment project covers the castle wards, fortifications, the so-called dry moat and the bridge above it. It will also include several rooms of the castle’s ground floor, whose small part has been available to visitors or used for professional purposes so far. It’s an important component of the entire investment project as it will enable a significant increase in the number of indoor castle areas made available also to mobility impaired people – also those living in wheelchairs.<br> Thanks to the investment project, many visitors will be able to see the former castle kitchen and former bathrooms dating back to when the castle acted as an orphanage – both found in the west wing – and a Gothic chamber, unattractively converted into a screening room after WWII – found in the east wing. There will also be welfare rooms with a changing room and a washing facility on the 2nd floor of the west wing. The extent of conservation work will include the basement of the south-east corner of the castle and the pantry room (known as Bishop I. Krasicki’s study) on the 1st floor of the west wing. The basements of the south-east corner will feature exhibition rooms. The project involves also establishing a CCTV system covering all areas made available to visitors or requiring surveillance for safety reasons and not surveilled so far. It also involves modernising the lighting systems in the rooms and areas accessible and to be made accessible to visitors, installing an<br> emergency and exit lighting system in the attic, in the exhibition rooms on the 2nd floor, in the lower floor of the basement of the south and east wings – and in the staircase leading thereto, and in the lower rooms of the tower.</p>
Bilateral cooperation results
Høgskulen for grøn utvikling was one ouf the partners of the ‚Conservation and restoration of the fourteenth-century castle in Lidzbark Warmiński – pearls of Gothic architecture in Poland – stage III‘ project. The foundation for joint implementation of the project was a series of training courses held in Poland and Norway. Their topics were broadly understood entrepreneurship in tourism and culture and the use of the potential of local communities. They were attended by both museum employees and representatives of stakeholders. The most interesting result of the trainings was the establishment of working groups composed of representatives of the local community, the partner and the program beneficiary. The work of the groups focused on creating an offer of new activities carried out on the grounds of Lidzbark castle. As a result, with joint efforts, it was possible to organize a historical culinary festival, where various reconstruction groups together with the public prepared dishes from the region's past. A historical fencing group, Schola Gladiatoria Heilsbergensis, was also established. Its participants continue to this day to explore the secrets of the Historical European Martial Arts free of charge. Among other things, they graced the closing ceremony of the Norwegian project with their demonstration. Together with local experts, they also prepared the first museum workshop dedicated to children and young people with intellectual disabilities, entitled. “Key to the Castle.” A strong highlight at the end of the project was also the first fashion show within the castle walls, during which original creations by a local artist, prepared especially for the occasion, were presented. The interaction with the partner led to a wider opening of the Museum to the needs of the local community and a step out of the previous comfort zone in terms of the use of historic spaces and the institution's interaction with stakeholders.)
Project partners
- The University College of Green Development Donor project partner· Norway
- Tidvis Utvikling AS Donor project partner· Norway