The belfry in Strzeżewo

The belfry in Strzeżewo was built in 1939 and was used for alarming the local residents in case of a fire. Presently, it is the only monument of this type preserved in West Pomerania and a precious element of Pomeranian historical countryside infrastructure.

The object is located in the area of a village which has been recorded in the Registry of Cultural Property, No.: nr 105 / 1958 r.

Keywords: belfry, framing construction, wood

Location

Strzeżewo (the direct vicinity of the plot No. 21 and the plot No. 22), commune and district: gmina Kamień Pomorski, powiat kamieński

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The belfry is located in the central part of Strzeżewo (plot No. 62/19), in a village square, in a close vicinity of a water basin.

History

The belfry was built in 1939, what has been indicated by a date cut in one of the upper beams. It was used for alarming the local residents in case of a fire or calling them for important village gatherings.

Until as late as in the 1990s, there was a bronze bell hanging in the belfry. According to an inscription placed on it, it was made in 1719 by a Szczecin bell founder Johann Heinrich Schmidt.

Description

The belfry is characterised by simplicity and functionality of the form. Its framing construction is composed of four posts tenoned into the corners of a ground-beam construction placed on a low, concrete base. The posts are connected bywith diagonally intersecting braces, running from the ground beams up to the straining beams in the upper part of the construction. The woodworking joints are reinforced with iron flats. The construction is crowned with a low, tented roof of slightly curved slopes, with an open rafter framing. It is covered with ceramic tiles (double lapped); rounded ones are placed at the ridges. The belfry is devoid of the bell and not used.

Photo 3. Overall view.
Photo 4. Front view.
Photo 5. Overall view.
Photo 6. Ground construction, details.
Photo 7. Eave damage.

Photogrammetry

The following Virtual and Augmented Reality "Model 3D - The belfry in Strzeżewo" presentation uses external Sketchfab portal and is approximately 240MB in size.

"Model 3D - The belfry in Strzeżewo" presentation.

An alternative description of "Model 3D - The belfry in Strzeżewo" presentation: A small wooden tower with a tented roof. Openwork, wooden construction of the building, devoid of the bell.

Figure 08. Digital model rendering (no textures) – southwest view.
Figure 09. Digital model rendering – northwest view.
Figure 10. Digital model rendering – northeast view.
Figure 11. Digital model rendering – southeast view.
Figure 12. Digital model rendering – view of damages in the eave.
Figure 13. Digital model rendering – view of roof tile damages.
Figure 14. Digital model rendering – view of north ground construction.
Figure 15. Digital model rendering – view of ground construction.
Figure 16. Digital model rendering – view of the roof structure.
Figure 17. West elevation rendering.
Figure 18. South elevation rendering.
Figure 19. East elevation rendering.
Figure 20. North elevation rendering.
Figure 21. Belfry plan rendering.
Figure 22. Roof rendering.

Sources

    Bibliography:
  • G. Bronisch, W. Ohle, Kreis Kammin Land, Stettin 1939, s. 366;
  • Katalog budownictwa ludowego, Dzwonnica. Strzeżewo, oprac. C. Nowakowski, 1985, m-pis, archiwum WUOZ w Szczecinie;

    Photographs and illustrations by:
  • Archiwum WUOZ o. Szczecin - G. Solecki (photograph No. 1);
  • W. Witek (photograph No. 2);
  • Biuro Dokumentacji Zabytków – K. Tymbarski (photogrpahs No. 3 - 7 and figures No. 8 - 22);