The St Otto Park And Well

According to the sources, in the present St Otto Park, there was a spring from which Bishop Otto of Bamberg scooped water to baptize the first Pomeranians. The initiator of the baptism, which took place in 1124, was Bolesław Krzywousty. It is worth highlighting that the Otto’s mission was of markedly peaceful nature and did not lead to any bloodshed. On the occasion of the 700th anniversary of this event, a cornerstone of a monument was laid and the development of the area of the spring started, giving it a representative character. In the years 1825-26, a one metre deep baptistery was built according to the design of a famous German architect, Karl Friedrich Schinkel; it referred with its architecture to the Roman baptistery of the Emperor Constantine the Great. The spring was encased with stone blocks. At the front, an inscription was placed: “Ad fontem vitae hoc aditu properate lavandi connstantis vitae ianua XPS erit”, referring to the events of 1124. The external case of the spring was entirely made in a form of about 1.5-metre stone walls. In the central part of the well, Schinkel placed a Latin cross made of polished red granite. In the past, the already non-spurting spring lent charm to the place. Its narrow stream formed a small pond, which also does not exist. In the years 1999-2000, a major renovation was carried out, owing to which we can see the monument in the condition in which it was designed by Karl F. Schinkel.

The park surrounding the well was designed by a royal gardener from Potsdam - Piotr Lenné. In 1902, a bronze bust of Bishop Otto was placed in the vicinity of the baptistery; it has, however, not survived to our times. Also only few trees of the original park have been preserved.