Arms in the Griffin Duchy – Temporary Exhibition

For the first time, the collection of medieval and early modern arms from the collections of the National Museum in Szczecin will be presented to the public. The exhibits originate from the territory of the former Duchy of Pomerania and date from the beginnings of the duchy’s formation in the 12th century to the decline of the Griffin state in the 1630s.

The exhibition features approximately 180 artefacts, including weapons and equestrian equipment used by knights and townspeople. Visitors will see an exceptional collection of edged weapons, including more than thirty medieval swords, 15th-century daggers and long knives, as well as Renaissance rapiers and broadswords. The display also includes blunt weapons, polearms, and elements of defensive armour. Firearms are represented by a medieval hand cannon and a 16th-century cannon from the Ducal Castle in Szczecin.

A particularly remarkable exhibit is the oldest crossbow preserved in a Polish museum collection, dating from the early 15th century. Among the equestrian equipment, a large collection of spurs illustrates the evolution of their forms over the centuries.

For the first time, visitors will also have the opportunity to view fragments of armour recovered after the Second World War from the ducal crypt, as well as the decorative plates of a hunting crossbow discovered during archaeological excavations at the Ducal Castle in Szczecin in 1975.

The exhibition is richly illustrated with medieval works of art from Pomerania and illuminations from German manuscripts.