Treasures of the Pomeranian Dukes

The permanent exhibition Treasures of the Pomeranian Dukes at the Słupsk Castle presents memorabilia of the last inhabitants of the castle, who were the last of the Griffin dynasty in Pomerania.

The main place of the exhibition is occupied by two tin, richly decorated sarcophagi: of Duchess Anna de Croy and her son Ernest Bogusław de Croy. After the funeral ceremonies, they were deposited in the crypt of the castle church (today's St. Jack's Church) and remained there intact until 1977, when they were opened by a commission. The tin sarcophagi and the objects excavated from them were subjected to conservation, and when this was completed, the dukes' keepsakes were put on display in the castle. The remains of the last Griffins are buried in the crypt in front of the altar in the church, in contemporary sarcophagi. Five flags are displayed above the sarcophagi. These are extremely valuable objects, not only because of the intricate workmanship and very good state of preservation, but above all because of their uniqueness—very few flags made for funeral ceremonies have survived.

In the showcases are the cushion and gown of Italian silk velvet excavated from the coffin of Princess Anna, and from the sarcophagus of Duke Ernest Bogusław a cloak of silk velvet and satin embroidered with silk and metal threads, a bottom robe and cushion of brocade, stockings and knee-length trousers made of fine silk fabric. These robes were specially prepared for the burial. They were made from high-quality fabrics imported from Italy and France. In a separate display case, one can see two gold bracelets with sandalwood fillings (so-called balsams), a gold enamelled cross on a ribbon, a silver plate, an enamelled gold ring, a ring with a single diamond and a gold ring with fifteen diamonds and a date commemorating the death of Princess Anne. The rings and the wedding ring were found in the sarcophagus of Ernest Boguslaw, who was buried with the jewellery left to him by his mother.

In the same display case, there are also five medals that the prince commissioned from distinguished medallists for various celebrations. Of particular note is a medal made in 1668 depicting a bust of the duke on the obverse and, on the reverse, a 'wild man' leaning against the altar and holding a shield with the Croy family coat of arms. The centrepiece of the exhibition features a 17th-century portrait of Duchess Anna from an altarpiece from the church in Smołdzino. This painting was discovered during conservation work and donated to the museum. The exhibition is complemented by a pair of tin candlesticks and a silver chalice with a paten funded by Duchess Anna for the church in Smołdzino, and a pair of silver candlesticks funded by Prince Ernest Bogusław.

Opposite the entrance to the hall is a unique example of Pomeranian art—the Darłowo silver altar. The altar, originally funded by Prince Philip II, the greatest patron of the arts from the House of Griffins, took thirty years to create (1606-1636). Philip II commissioned 27 silver plates with biblical representations. The retable, or altarpiece, was made of ebony wood only in 1636, commissioned by Duchess Elisabeth, widow of Duke Boguslaw XIV. Only eight of the 27 tiles have survived to the present day, and most of the silver decorations adorning the retable have also not survived. In the window niche to the right of the altar is the sarcophagus of the Saxon-Laudenburg princess Catherine Ursula, who spent most of her life in Slupsk, at the side of her aunt, Princess Erdmuty.