Średniowieczne konstrukcje ciesielskie południowego skrzydła zamku kapituły warmińskiej w Olsztynie. Przyczynek do historii zamku

The article presents the results of an analysis carried out during the renovation of a roof of the southern wing of the Warmia Chapter in Olsztyn in the years 2013-2014. The renovation of the castle wing roof provided us with the possibility to freely access normally inaccessible places and an opportunity to analyse the form and rules of carpentry structures found in this part of the castle, that is, a roof truss and frame walls from around 1429, including the stock-taking of carpentry joints that are not visible after the structure assembly. Since it was impossible to carry out a conservation analysis of carpentry structures in isolation from the context they are situated in, the research conclusions often have a broader scope and concern the history of the entire southern wing. The example of the Olsztyn castle presented in the article shows a significant role of analyses of historical carpentry structures in chronological order and studies of architecture and construction monuments. Historical and architectural studies of historic carpentry structures, covering a typological analysis of the structure, along with an analysis of carpentry joints, assembly signs, traces of processing and other traces and distinguishing marks, e.g inscriptions, as well as comprehensive archival studies allow chronological breakdown of the sole carpentry structure and determination of relative chronology and stratification of the entire historic building, usually subject to conversions and reconstructions over centuries. As we can see on an example of the discussed monument, studies of historical carpentry structures can often contribute to targeting architectural studies of the entire object, representing a point of departure for stratification of the entire building in many cases. Researchers have not paid much attention to wooden structures of the Olsztyn Castle. As we can speculate, a frame structure of the southern wing yard wall with a secondary masonry work could have been beyond the awareness of castle users and researchers. The level of complexity of frame structures of walls erected along with mezzanine floors and a structure of roof truss attests to the fact that the wooden structure of the granary was erected one of the highly qualified carpentry workshops, established and functioning in the Teutonic Knights state in Prussia in the 14th and 15th centuries under the influence of settlers coming from the West. Broader studies of the typology of medieval frame structures on the territory of former Prussia, especially those applied in secular construction, are seriously hindered due to the low number of preserved fachwerk walls to our times. Therefore, we should all the more indicate the need for preparing detailed documentations and analysing all relics of ancient frame structures, even those – or perhaps especially those – hidden behind subsequent masonry work, which was attempted at demonstrating on the basis of an analysis of medieval carpentry structures of a former granary in the southern wing of the Olsztyn fortress. It is not for the first time that it turns out how important the performance of scientific research during the construction investments carried out in an architecture monument is for its preservation. Not only does it allow us to become familiar with its structural transformations and supplement previous knowledge, but also to verify previous findings. Such simultaneous continuation of scientific research can often influence the construction process itself, allowing potential corrections of initial investment assumptions for the benefit of the monument’s value. As regards the roof of the southern wing of the Olsztyn Castle, the research influenced, among others, the scope and method of conducting carpentry works and the type of reconstructed roof covering. No pre-investment architectural studies carried out at an object that is continuously used cannot contribute to the collection of such a large amount of information about a given monument, as regular, careful supervision exercised by persons with appropriate qualifications, carried out during renovation works.