"From the Stone Age to the city" at the Bergen Town Museum on Rügen

The Bergen auf Rügen Town Museum is located in one of the baroque monastery buildings in the monastery courtyard and invites visitors of all ages on a historical excursion. The first floor is dedicated to the prehistory and early history of Rügen. The tour takes visitors from the Stone Age megalithic tombs to the metal remains of the Bronze Age and the Slavic temple castle of Arkona. Selected, high-quality copies of the silver treasure from Schaprode (Rügen) will enrich the permanent exhibition until the end of 2026. On January 29, 2018, volunteer archaeologists found the first evidence of an early medieval silver hoard, which ultimately comprised more than 1920 individual pieces. The many complete or fragmentary silver coins preserved include oriental coins (dirhams), Western European and English coins and a few Byzantine specimens. Of particular interest are the coins of the Danish King Harald Bluetooth (reigned 958-986), which gave the deposit its popular name: "Bluetooth treasure". The jewelry includes several neck rings and their fragments, as well as arm ring fragments, earrings, granulated silver beads and disc-shaped pendants. A Thor's hammer pendant and radiant ingots complete the find spectrum. The treasure was probably laid down in the late 980s. The replicas on display in the city museum are a representative selection from the original ensemble.

On the upper floor, selected examples shed light on the history of Bergen, which is inextricably linked to the founding of the nunnery in 1193 by the Slavic prince Jaromar I. The former medieval monastery and church treasures include a richly embroidered linen cloth with its original colored silk threads and a magnificent gilded chalice, a replica of which enriches the permanent exhibition. Guided tours are available by appointment.