Der Danziger Textilschatz im Zeichen europäischer Freundschaft

In the organizer's words:

The St. Annen Museum has a very special treasure on permanent loan: the Gdansk paraments. These are 103 of the most precious textile objects for church services from the Union of Protestant Churches in the EKD (UEK), Hanover.

A small selection of the valuable pieces will be presented in regular rotation in the heart of the St. Annen Museum. The presentation once again places great emphasis on the interaction of the arts in the Middle Ages. Together with the architecture, stained glass, painting and sculpture of the 15th century, the vestments present a beautiful and harmonious overall picture. They all served to make the service a great celebration for Christians in honor of God.

The finest embroidery and Asian as well as Italian silks show the high value that was once attached to these vestments. They originate from St. Mary's Church in Gdansk and were mainly donated by the citizens of Gdansk in the 14th and 15th centuries. Hidden in the church, they survived the Reformation and wars. It was not until the 19th century that they were rediscovered by chance during construction work.

At the end of the Second World War, some of the textile treasures were taken and saved by citizens of Gdansk together with the local pastor Gerhard Gülzow when they fled to Lübeck. A further 183 pieces were taken to Thuringia at the time and returned to Gdansk after the war.

In December 2022, the UEK formulated the intention in a joint letter of intent with St. Mary's Church in Gdansk that the objects from Lübeck should also return to Gdansk once the appropriate conditions have been created. In order to prepare the return professionally and carefully, an advisory board of Polish and German experts was set up. Nevertheless, some pieces will continue to remain in Lübeck on a rotating basis and be presented here.