In the city center, on the island of Kant, in the Cathedral is one of the most famous attractions. Being in the city and not visiting it is a big mistake. We are talking about the Kant Museum in Kaliningrad. With the name of the German philosopher, who was born, lived and died in the former Koenigsberg, much is connected in these places. Having restored the buildings destroyed by the war, Kaliningraders managed to preserve the peculiarity and originality of historical objects associated with this name.
In memory of Kant
The great Konigsberg scientist who created modern science managed to “open his eyes” to the world, explaining how people think. He proved to the whole scientific world that experience and reason play a unique and significant role in this process. Due to the fact that a person’s consciousness is limited, he cannot absolutely accurately separate the truth from fiction, and therefore science must be extremely critical of any information received. This has become the engine of many discoveries.
For philosophers, historians, thinking people of the planet, the name Kant means a lot in the world of science, and for Kaliningraders, the great scientist has become a cult figure and an object of pride. There are two museums dedicated to the scientist in the city: on the island of his name and at the Baltic University of Kaliningrad (formerly Albertine). Recently, another museum was opened in the village of Veselovka. The name of Kant is the university, in front of the building of which there is a monument to the scientist. At the grave of the philosopher, against the wall of the Cathedral, are fresh flowers.
Kant Island
Throughout its history, the island on the Pregel River has changed its name, appearance and purpose several times. In 1327, he received city status, becoming one of the three that formed Koenigsberg. Its location was very convenient for the development of trade, since there was both a water transport route and a land one. A feature of the island has always been the presence of several bridges connecting it with land.
Today, there is a magnificent park, one of the most visited in the city. More than a thousand species of trees, shrubs and flowers have been planted on its alleys.
Sculpture Park on Kant
Since 1984, a sculpture park has been located on the western side of the island. About thirty compositions, busts and monuments to the great figures of science and art are installed here. The dominant feature of the island is the magnificent building of the Cathedral, which, among other interesting objects, houses the Kant Museum in Kaliningrad.
Cathedral
It is known that the building of the local Lutheran church, which it was intended to be at first, was laid in 1333 and was built for 80 years. Before the church reformation, it was the main Catholic church of the city, was also the Lutheran church of Prussia.
Heavily destroyed by the bombing of 1945, he stood in desolation for a long time. Its restoration began in the late 90s of the last century.
The modern Cathedral is beautiful and majestic. The view of the building is inextricably linked with the city itself, as its photographs are often printed in booklets, guidebooks, magazines, making it the hallmark of Kaliningrad. Restorers have preserved the building style - Baltic Gothic, which distinguishes it from other urban objects.
Today it is a multifunctional cultural center. There are two concert halls with organs, an Orthodox and an evangelical chapel, and in Kaliningrad, the Immanuel Kant Museum and the Cathedral.
German philosopher
Immanuel Kant's whole life passed in Koenigsberg. Here he was born into a poor family of artisans, he studied at school at the hospital of St. George, graduated from the prestigious Friedrich Collegium Grammar School, entered the university. The father accustomed the child to working life, and the mother, given the poor health of her son, tried to ensure that he received a good education.
There were four faculties at the time. It is not known which of them the future great philosopher entered, which science he preferred to study at that stage of his life's journey. But no one disputes the fact that one of Kant's teachers at the university was Martin Knutzen, a man who aroused an interest in philosophy in his student. At this time, he took up writing his first great work. But he had to take a break from school: his parents died, and he had to earn a living. For 10 years, he takes a break from school, becomes a home teacher, moves to Yudshen (Veselovka), where another Kant house-museum is opened in Kaliningrad today.
Defense of the dissertation, obtaining a doctorate and the right to teach at the university fell in 1755. In subsequent years, he wrote great philosophical works that made his name famous throughout the world.
Cathedral Museum
An old spiral staircase leads visitors to the second floor of the Cathedral, from where the viewing of the exhibition dedicated to Koenigsberg begins. The exhibits tell about the history of Kneiphof Island (Kant Island), the military coming of the Knights of the Teutonic Order, about their creation of the Koenigsberg Fortress from three nearby cities. Models of Prussian housing, household items and, finally, a huge layout of the city were executed with high skill, professional artists worked on them.
The Koenigsberg fortifications, which received considerable attention, were also carefully executed, since the main function of the created city was to provide fortification from enemies.
The restoration of the Cathedral from ruins after World War II is an interesting and significant part of the exposition. There are few buildings left that were not damaged by the bombing. Modern Kaliningrad is an almost completely rebuilt post-war city.
Museum of the philosopher on the island
The third and fourth floors of the room are dedicated to the life and work of a philosopher, distinguished by a rare discipline and a hard work regime. The Kant Museum in Kaliningrad has rare exhibits confirming this.
Here visitors will hear a detailed story about the scientist’s family, the poverty she struggled with, the boy’s desire for knowledge and the efforts of his parents to give a good education to the child. You can learn a lot of interesting things about the adult Kant: how he built relationships with students and colleagues, what he considered fundamental, what habits and oddities he possessed.
The philosopher greatly appreciated good interlocutors and respected knowledgeable people. Having become the owner of the house, he introduced the tradition of organizing Kantian dinners, where he invited guests interesting from his point of view. Remembering the difficult times for himself, he treated them with equal pleasure to simple and satisfying food and conducted philosophical conversations. This is evidenced by one of the paintings of the Kant Museum in Kaliningrad, a photo of which is presented in the article. A lot of exhibits are dedicated to Albertina. Where he graduated, and then taught until the end of his life.
The windows of the cathedral are decorated with stained-glass windows depicting Masonic symbols, museum materials pay much attention to the customs of Masonic organizations of the XVIII-XIX centuries. The Memorial Hall completes the museum tour. In this room is stored the death mask of the great scientist.
Tomb of Immanuel Kant
Kant, a world famous scientist, has never left his hometown. He is buried on the island of Kant, near the walls of the Cathedral, which for some time was the main city tomb for the local nobility. The funeral of Immanuel Kant completed his function.
Admirers of his works are still going to the grave of the ancestor of German classical philosophy. They treat the ashes of their teacher as a shrine, make a kind of pilgrimage to the place of his burial.
Creation of Kant's cabinet-museum at the university
In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the great philosopher, teachers at the University of Kaliningrad came up with the proposal to create a university-museum of their famous countryman. In 1974, it was supported at a meeting of the Academic Council, responsible persons were appointed, and the Council of the institution was later elected. For the convenience of students' work, the work schedule of the Kant Museum was agreed within its walls. Address in Kaliningrad: A. Nevsky Street, 14a. You can visit it every day from 10 am to 6 pm, the weekend falls on the first day of each year.
The cabinet-museum that began work set itself the following tasks:
- study and promotion of the work of Immanuel Kant;
- search, study, acquisition of new exhibits related to the name of the scientist;
- public readings of his works.
To celebrate the anniversary of the university, the structure of the cabinet-museum was expanded, new exhibits were acquired, a new, Kant University Museum in Kaliningrad was created. Within its walls, students practice, participate in the cultural work of the institution, and translate works from other languages.
House of eminent figure in Veselovka
In 2018, in the village of Veselovka, not far from Kaliningrad, the Kant house-museum, the photo of which flew around all the famous magazines, opened its doors after extensive reconstruction. The ruins in the recent past, which threatened to collapse completely, were literally lifted from ruins and turned into a building that adorned the village. The initiative to restore the historical monument was supported by the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin
Experts insist that it is more appropriate for the new institution to be called the scientist's place of work. Here Immanuel Kant lived compelledly from 1747 for three years, educating three children of a local priest. There was not enough money for his studies. But it was within these walls that he had the opportunity to study numerous scientific works and write his first, serious works.
The restoration was started in 2017. The facade of the building, the roof and the beams were completely replaced. In place of collapsed ceilings laid new. Restorers have preserved the interior of the house, namely the stairs, stove, doors. The smokehouse was completely restored.
Exhibits in the new museum came not only from Kaliningrad. Colleagues of museum employees from Germany actively participated in the work on the new exposition, passing them to the collection letters from a philosopher from Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.
How to get from Kaliningrad to the Kant Museum in Veselovka? The village is located about a hundred kilometers from the city. Traveling by regular bus will take a little more than two hours.