The Küstrin Fortress Museum is a museum ensemble that is unique in Europe. It includes the ruins of the old town of Küstrin, which was completely destroyed in 1945 and not rebuilt, and some of the remaining parts of the 16th century fortress.
The old town of Küstrin
The history of the old town of Küstrin is extremely exciting. The castle, the town hall, the parish church and the market square once dominated the townscape. Today, only ruins remain. Together with the wild flora and bird life of the old town, they create a unique atmosphere. After the war, life in the town froze for almost 50 years. Until recently, the place aroused a longing for what was once there, for the town that had ceased to exist. Today, the ruins of the old tenement houses and entire streets covered with cobblestones and sidewalks, as well as part of the preserved fortifications that have been restored, rise from the former piles of rubble. A walk through the ruins of the old town of Kostrzyn is a sentimental journey to the times when Küstrin was still one of the most beautiful towns in Brandenburg.
Bastion Philipp
The Philipp Bastion is one of the three bastions of the Küstrin Fortress that are still preserved and can be accessed again. Since May 2014, a permanent exhibition has been on display in the casemates of the Philipp Bastion, which presents some of the most important aspects of the history of the town, the garrison and the Küstrin Fortress. In addition, the various problems and challenges that the town has faced over the centuries during wars and sieges are also explained. The battles for Küstrin in February and March 1945 are examined in particular detail. The many stages of the expansion and modernization of the fortress are also presented vividly and clearly. A lot of space was also devoted to the catastrophe of the Seven Years' War and the destruction of the town on the day before the Battle of Zorndorf on August 25, 1758. The history of Küstrin Castle, the "Nest of the Hohenzollerns", is presented separately. The exhibition is interactive, visitors have access to many original exhibits and finds, as well as various multimedia (films and audio samples), models, different replicas of weapons, etc.
