On 1 August 2002, the Castle Museum was opened to celebrate the 750th anniversary of the Klaipėda City. On that day, the idea that city leaders, archaeologists and historians had been fostering for several decades, to make the oldest part of the city—the site of the Klaipėda Castle—accessible to everyone, became a reality.

The exposition in Prince Friedrich’s chamber, located under the earth rampart (bastion), introduces visitors to the development of the Klaipėda Castle and the city in the 13th – 17th centuries.  It is known that artillery was stored in this authentic vault in the 17th century.

At the beginning of the exposition, Curonian weapons and jewellery are presented, because before the establishment of the Order, the Klaipėda area belonged to the Curonian land of Pilsotas, where a distinct and rich culture existed.

The stands dedicated to the founding of Klaipėda feature copies of very important documents of the city’s history as well as scheme-models depicting the situation of the city and the castle in the 13th – 16th centuries. Various household items from 14th – 15th centuries found in the site of the Klaipėda Castle are displayed nearby.

Visitors also have the opportunity to see one of the museum’s most important exhibits – a 16th century gold ring inlaid with precious stones. Since 2003, Klaipėda Masters of Culture have been awarded exact replicas of it for their services to the city’s culture.

The atmosphere and fashions of the citizen’s life are reflected in Renaissance tiles, brewer’s accessories, household items, blacksmith’s tools and wares, and shoemakers’ articles. In a room adjacent to the tunnel in chamber, the legends of Klaipėda are complemented by a domestic scene in which mannequin-citizens wear reconstructed 17th century costumes. It also displays restored household ceramics found during excavations in the Old Town and the castle.

One of the most interesting exhibits is a 2×2.5 metre model, which gives an insight into the 17th century city and the layout of the castle. In the same hall, the preparation to repel the Swedish army is depicted: soldiers stand with ammunition, and next to them is a two-metre long, one ton cannon, discovered during the reconstruction of the bridge near the site of the castle. On the other side of the hall, the remains of a 14th century bridge are clearly visible.

The museum has one of the first computer terminals with interactive screens in Lithuania, which was installed in 2002 and has now become an exhibit itself. It allows users to independently search for additional information about the origin of the names Klaipėda and Memel, wander around the 17th century Klaipėda Castle, its courtyard and buildings, etc. The material in this terminal is presented in Lithuanian.

On 1 August 2006, the continuation of the Castle Museum’s exposition was opened in the restored chamber and casemates of the Prince Karl’s bastion. The main entrance takes visitors to the 18th century Klaipėda, and then onwards to the 19th and 20th centuries history of the city. More than 30 stands display views of the city, maps, plans, and portraits of the city’s most famous citizens – burgomasters and merchants. Documents, engravings and photographs illustrate the historical events of 1807–1809, 1920–1923, 1939 and 1945. The exposition reflects the economy, culture and everyday life of the citizens throughout the centuries. All used historical material comes from the collections of the History Museum of the Lithuania Minor, Lithuanian and German archives and private collections.

The authentic postern niches present archaeological finds from the 18th century: blacksmiths’ and potters’ wares, imported products from Klaipėda, stamps from the second half of the 19th century, a ceremonial goblet of the Masonic lodge made by local craftsmen in 1850, household items and weapons from the 20th century. The mannequins depicting a city family with reconstructed early 20th century clothes, as well as a model of the three-masted barque Achilles, built in 1864 by the most famous shipbuilder of Klaipėda, Behrend Pieper, also attract a lot of attention of the museum visitors. The story of Klaipėda in the second half of the 20th century ends with the most characteristic exhibits illustrating the Soviet era and the most recent period of the city’s history.

In 2012, another computer terminal was installed in the Castle Museum. This is the result of the project “Klaipėda History Coming to Life. The Site of the Klaipėda Castle”. The material here provides a detailed and illustrative presentation of the development of Klaipėda Castle. Information is presented in Lithuanian, English, Russian and German.

When visiting the site of the Klaipėda Castle, it is also worth seeing the foundations of the 14th – 17th centuries buildings uncovered by archaeologists, together with the impressive remains of the Grand Gunpowder Tower. In addition, while exploring the ruins outside, visitors can also walk along the 16th century pavement, the oldest in Klaipėda, as well as climb on Friedrich‘s bastion to admire the panorama of the city.

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