Story of a house. Part 3

18 photos + text. The end will outline.

Welcome to the small town Gvardeysk Kaliningrad region.





The town was first mentioned in 1258 as a settlement Tapiov, use entrenched in the German form Tapiau.



History Tapiau Guards began long before the Teutonic Order. In the area of ​​the modern city at the confluence of Damien and Pregel was the Prussian village Zugubri. And close to the Prussian fortress of the same name. According to legend, the fortress founded by the Vikings Sapelli. The whole area around called Tapiov. Therefore, after some time, the village has received another name Tapiov.
The name "Tapiov" or "Tapiau" came from Prussian language and means something warm, maybe, "warm box". Indeed, in the vast flood plain of two rivers and Damien Pregel often rising mist. Heat of vaporization enveloped lowlands and obviously created a special microclimate.



In 1262 the Crusaders built a strong point on the coast of Damien. Since 1280 the fortress, dubbed Tapia began to rebuild the castle.



By 1290 the construction of the fortress ended. It's amazing that all this is done in a decade! This also applies to work on the construction of the canal from the bend to the Pregel Dame (old Damien). Thus, the strength was from all sides surrounded by water. Only one bridge connects it with the other bank of the ditch. Well-preserved granite and brick vaulted support.



Incidentally, in Tapia kept the books of the Order are not intended for general use. These were manuscripts on parchment and paper. Some of them, consisting of 63 manuscripts and two printed publication containing information on the medicine and jurisprudence, the other part consisted of 260 manuscripts theological, historical, mathematical and philosophical content.



On the ground floor of the castle housed the household utility room and kitchen. The thicker bases hidden deep cellars, which were used, in particular, and as a prison. In one of these cellars in 1474 Samland starved Bishop Dietrich von Cuba - the supposedly impartial praised the Grand Master Heinrich von Richtenberg. Someone reported - and the bishop was doomed to terrible torments. As if the ghost of his for a long time wandering through dungeons Tapiau ...



In 1878, the fortress-castle Tapiau underwent another and this time almost completely changed her appearance renovation: was built tower, demolished tower ... And all this was done intentionally, Thy fortress-castle Tapiau as the once powerful and almost impregnable defensive structure Crusaders already did not exist. Instead, the maps of East Prussia, a new ... a German prison.



That is why so few photos of the interior of the castle.



And, paradoxically, so they do not have now.



The Soviet occupation authorities did not change were: almost injured during the fighting former German prison became Soviet, received the sequence number "3": is detained are being investigated war criminals among the prominent German Nazi officials and military commanders rank, as a rule, not lower commanders.



It was only in May 1960, the former castle Tapiau become an integral part of general regime institutions OM 216/7 or "Seven".



In the former quarters of the Order is a kitchen for the provincial commander of prisoners, and in the halls of the main floor of a multi-layer whitewash view images on the stones: minnesinger (singer) playing the lute; girl in a wreath of roses; wild boar, crane, deer, goat, rooster, eagle ... and the biblical scene "The Flight into Egypt".



Perhaps it is due to the current "tenants", the castle is preserved in its original form. But is it right ...



Whether it's for the finale of the castle, which is almost 800 years old? I do not think ...



but that in his attire, history and power is clearly unnecessary.
(Photo from there, but adjoined in our time, space.)

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Thanks



it takes time ... and maybe instead of prisoners with boilers will be here to walk the tourists with video cameras.



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