Poznań’s Cathedral Island was once home to one of a principle settlements of the emerging state of the Piast dynasty. A place where Duke Mieszko I chose to settle. For more than a millennium, it has also been the site of Poland’s first Cathedral.
Cathedral Island may well be where Poland was christened and where our collective history began… .
The Island’s fascinating past from the 9th century to contemporary times, shown against the backdrop of national and European developments, is the focus of a display at the Brama Poznania ICHOT.

The display up-close:

The display presented in the Brama Poznania ICHOT, the actual historical sights and the remarkable history of Cathedral Island of Poznań make a consistent whole. Just make sure to begin your visit with the exhibition and only then, aware of the significance of the site, set out on a tour of discovery of this millennium-old Island.

The VIDEOS offered at the display depict, among other things, the realities of life a thousand years ago. Everyday activities, merry-making and scenes from the lives of the town’s residents serve as a background for the footage of historical reconstructions.
Here are some images captured from the videos available at the Brama Poznania ICHOT. One of them shows how defensive embankments were built. The display then refers the viewer to Cathedral Island where sections of the embankment can still be seen in the Archeological Reserve.

The STAINED GLASS WINDOWS in the Brama Poznania ICHOT building depict successive moments in history combined into a consistent tale. This colorful mosaic is the central theme of one of the exhibition rooms.
The stained glass art is also a link between the display and the main historic attraction of Cathedral Island – the Cathedral itself. The symbolic images present breakthrough moments in history. The photos shows fragments of the display’s stained glass windows. The stained glass art relies on state-of-the-art graphics for some very impressive effects.

MAKIETA
The Brama Poznania ICHOT has employed a variety of techniques to depict themes relating to the origins of the Piast Dynasty State. A particular challenge was to find an appealing way to bring the history closer to the youngest visitors.
The mock-up measuring close to 30 square meters is a realistic representation of the settlement. The photos show in miniature its completed parts, including the ducal palace. An identical representation of the palace can be found on the Island. A plaque on Saint Mary’s Church goes into great detail describing the site once occupied by Mieszko I’s impressive residence.

TOUCH SCREENS
Interactive terminals, a virtual book, a timeline are just some examples of the wide range of media to be found in the exhibition. Simple, intuitively-navigable menus make it easy to explore ever deeper levels of information.
The Golden Chapel in the Poznań Cathedral is only open to visitors on certain occasions. Otherwise it can be admired through an iron gate. Due to the Chapel’s extraordinary history and symbolic significance, the Brama Poznania ICHOT employs special ways to describe it. The display makes you feel as if you are standing in the middle of the Chapel. It offers an interactive terminal which contains all Chapel-related information and is a great way to prepare for seeing it in real life.

FOCUS ON THE CATHEDRAL
A slot cutting through the Brama Poznania ICHOT building is meant to direct your sight to the Island’s central attraction – the Cathedral, which emerges in full glory when viewed from the rooftop observation deck of the Gateway building. This and many other views of the Cathedral to be seen during the tour of the exhibition remind you why you are there: the display serves as a perfect introduction to exploring the origins of the Polish state and discovering the Cathedral Island of Poznań.