The "Prussia Antiquity Society" founded in Königsberg in 1844 had as their mission the exploration of the prehistory of East and West Prussia through excavations and establishing a collection. Their activities resulted in the development of the internationally renowned Prussia museum, which was housed in Königsberg Castle. They later expanded their exhibition objects to include folklore and national history.
From 1943 onwards parts of the collection of several hundred thousand objects were moved to Western Pomerania. Later they were stored, unrecognised, in the cellars of the city museum in East Berlin. Today they belong to the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
After the end of the war parts of the Prussia Collection that had not been removed were transported to Warsaw and Allenstein (today Olsztyn). From 1997 onwards further parts of the collection surfaced, partly illegally, at flea markets in Königsberg (today’s Kaliningrad). Restored with German help, they are now kept in the Regional Museum of History and Art. But the larger part of the collections is lost.
Illustration:
Copperplate by Christoph Hartknoch
Portrait of Christoph Hartknoch (1644-1687)
In addition to archaeological finds, chronicles and other documents are the most important sources for the history of Old Prussia. Probably the most important work of the 17th century is owed to the theologian, educator and copperplate engraver Hartknoch.