Z rzeką w tle / Framed by the River. The Biography of Cathedral Lock

Discover the stories hidden in the Cathedral Lock

The Cathedral Lock is the keeper of many stories. On the one hand, these include memories of everyday chores and childhood play, and on the other – of the dangerous fight against the elements. These are the stories hidden among the Prussian bricks.

Transdisciplinarity, which the authors used in this publication, neatly demonstrates the influence of contemporary research methods on the museum practice, and in general, on culture […]. Undoubtedly however, the aim of the publication was not to multiply the array of research methods, but to create a popular-science book that would encourage readers to reflect on the place and remind us that pieces of objects, places and images which are lost among us, are important witnesses of the past.

Prof. Marianna Michałowska PhD, Adam Mickiewicz University

Framed by the River is a bilingual publication which explores the biography of the Cathedral Lock chapter by chapter: from the times when the 19^th-century fortifications were built to the renovation work in contemporary times to the amazing exhibition held in November 2014. The publication is a transcript of the exhibition and an attempt to summarise all that happened.

The Cathedral Lock, one of the last surviving historic parts of the polygonal Tower of Poznań, is the city’s gem among the military and hydrotechnical constructions. This engineering work of art was used by the army to control the water level in the Cybina River. The publication presents over 170 years of history of the building and of the people connected to it. It shows what it was like to live in the vicinity of the elements. This biography of the Cathedral Lock is an introduction to a conversation on a much larger topic. How should we talk about the complex history of the building? Where can we find its ‘voice’? What is a biography of a historic site? What is heritage interpretation? These are the questions which the authors try to answer.

The publication combines the language of oral history with the language of science and museum jargon. The memories and anecdotes of the people who witnessed the history of the place are mixed with reflection on methodology, and sensitivity of exhibition designers. This juxtaposition of various narrative styles is an attempt to interpret heritage, whose main aim, according to the famous 1957 principle by Freeman Tilden, is “not instruction, but provocation”.