11-13 September 2024

Rakvere Castle

Dear Members of the Association, dear Colleagues!

Welcome to Rakvere Castle on 11-13 September for the annual General Assembly of the Association of Castles and Museums Around the Baltic Sea and the international conference “Our Secret Objects”.

This year, the conference will concentrate on objects in our collections – what do the objects tell us and how do we read and interpret their (hi)stories, how to plan and arrange their transport and evacuation and unique discoveries.

WEDNESDAY, 11th September

Location: Rakvere Castle
Start: 14.00

The event will begin with the board meeting followed by the General Assembly. This year the election of the new board as well as president is on the agenda. The day will end with a tour and dinner in Rakvere Castle.

THURSDAY, 12th September

CONFERENCE “Our Secret Objects”
Our collections are full of objects. It is important how we research, interpret and display them to the public and what kind of meaning and information they carry. The conference thus aims to explore the different ways the objects can “speak” and tell their (hi)stories through different displays, context and new representations.
On the other hand, objects need to be preserved, handled and persistently taken care of. The constantly changing political and security situation endangers both our collections and archives
Conference working language is English.
After the conference we will all meet again in Rakvere Castle for the evening gala. The castle kitchen will prepare dishes inspired from history and the accompanying programme shall take will make it a night to remember.

FRIDAY, 13th September
Excursion through historical Virumaa county, during which we will visit castles and manor houses from different periods. In Toolse, a scenic outdoor picnic (if the weather permits) is set out by the sea.
Purtse Castle – Toolse Castle (picnic) - Palmse manor – Kolga manor

Participation fee: EUR 80.-
Deadline for registration August 31st, 2024
Information on practical issues: Viljar Vissel, viljar@svm.ee

The castle in Sztum (Stuhm) was erected at the end of the 14th century,  as one of the last buildings of its kind in the Teutonic state. It was built as the seat of the vogt, but very soon also became the residence of the Order's Grand Masters. The masters would come to Sztum from nearby Malbork (Marienburg) - the Order’s headquarter - to rest, hunt and host important guests.

The castle remained in the hands of the Teutonic Knights for less than 100 years and by the mid-16th century the stronghold came under the Polish kings control. The Polish period in the history of the Sztum castle lasted more than 300 years. During the reign of the Polish kings, the castle was occupied by the district governors, who converted the rather austere Teutonic fortress into an elegant magnate's residence.

Trakų Vokė manor is the unique architectural monument, witch recalls the times of the Counts Tiškevičiai. The Trakų Vokė manor homestead was formed in the 19th century, when Count Józef Tyszkiewicz  (1805–1844) acquired the estate from the then owner Ludwik Dąbrowski.

Around 1876-1880, on the order of Count Witold Emanuel Tyszkiewicz (1831–1903), an ornate palace was built based on a design by Italian architect L. Marconi (1834–1919), who lived in Warsaw. The two-story palace was decorated with eight sculptures, the entrance was decorated with a cartouche with the coat of arms of the Tyszkiewicz family Leliwa. The interior of the palace sparkled with luxury: walls were decorated with valuable paintings, tapestries, and the rooms were heated with marble fireplaces, crystal chandeliers spread light. The rooms were richly decorated with elements typical of this period, with plant and floral motifs and angels; every room was painted different colour specifically chosen for each space. Today in the palace you can see 4 rooms with authentic moulded decorative ceilings, a preserved unique mosaic floor in the orangery, rare interior shutters, and a food supply tunnel.

The stone castle at Tukums was built around 1330.  It was one of the castles of the master of Livonia and served as a post office and a place of refuge for travellers.  The castle was found along an important trade route which linked Marienburg to the cities of Livonia. Written sources suggest that the Tukums Castle was directly subordinated to the master of the Livonian Order.  The Landtag meetings of the order were held at the castle twice – in 1463 and in 1481.

Riga Castle is one of the best preserved castles of the Teutonic Order in the Baltic Sea region. It is a castellum-type castle with an outer ward, built in the 16^th century, which has been rebuilt over time and supplemented with several annexes. The castle's authentic structure – including the original 16^th century vaults, columns and other elements – as well as other layers of its rich history, make the recent reconstruction of the Riga Castle an important event for those interested in heritage and castle architecture, as well as for the general public.

In 1330, the Riga Castle was built in a strategic place on the Daugava River by the Eberhard von Monheim, Master of the Livonian branch of the Teutonic Order, and it served as the residence of the Masters. In 1484, in an armored conflict between the Riga Town and the Order, the townspeople destroyed the castle. Rigans were forced to restore the destroyed castle themselves, and from 1497 to 1515 the present castle was built. It is one of the youngest castles of the Teutonic Order, and it brings the medieval tradition further to the volatile 16^th century.

The history of Riihisaari is closely connected with the past of Olavinlinna castle. Even the old name Kavassisaari derived from the utilization of the island as the castle’s port for war boats  in the 16th century.  There were also four cottages, a granary and a sauna on the island. A connecting bridge was built in 1582. In 1617, the kingdom’s border was redrawn further to the east, making the castle’s large fleet and naval port obsolete, and the granaries gave rise to the island’s new name, Riihisaari.

During the early 19th century, military barracks, a smithy, warehouses and vegetable gardens could be found on the island.

The Castle of Klaipėda also known as Memelburg or Memel Castle was built by the Livonian Order at the mouth of the Dangė River. The castle was first mentioned in written sources in 1252. Centuries of fights between Lithuanians and Germans followed. The Castle of Klaipėda, known at the time as Memelburg, played a key role in the state of the Order being opposed to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This fact influenced the dynamic history of the castle and the town. Attacks, fires, rebuilding and upgrading constituted the routine of the Klaipėda Castle. After the castle lost its military importance, it gradually fell into ruins. The bricks of the castle were used in the second half of the 19th century for building the actual old city centre.

The history of Borgholm Castle stretches back 800 years. What remains nowadays, is the ruin of the magnificent Baroque palace built by Karl X Gustav in the middle of the 17th century. Over the centuries, the castle has been crowded with people, from kings and their families, architects and castle wardens to farmers, prisoners, prison guards, industrialists and crofters. Initially, the foundations of the castle were constructed as a keep surrounded by a bailey as early as the 12th century. Since then they have been developed in step with the history of Borgholm Castle.

The 12th century was a turbulent time for Northern Europe. In order to protect the sparsely populated areas from piracy and looting, a chain of defensive fortifications was built. During the same period, the oldest known part of Borgholm Castle was also constructed, a strong keep, which was then further strengthened during the 13th century. During the 1360s, the older medieval castle was rebuilt into a square stronghold. The royal castle in Borgholm became one of the country’s most important fortresses.

Läckö Castle is best known as De la Gardie’s magnificent baroque mansion on the shores of Lake Vänern, but it is much older. Brynolf Algotsson, Bishop of the Diocese of Skara, laid the foundations for a fortified castle in 1298 originally as a fort that consisted of two or three houses surrounded by a wall. After a fire during the 1470s, the fort was expanded by Bishop Brynolf Gerlachsson (1458-1505).

Following the Reformation in 1527, the castle was confiscated from the church and King Gustav Vasa took possession. Field Marshal Jacob Pontusson De la Gardie (1583–1652) was granted the property in 1615.

He embarked on an extensive building spree, including the third floor of the keep.