International Castle Research Society

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Donjon of Coucy and the Crac des Chevaliers, Bonn, 2009

The International Castle Research Society (ICRS) was established in Aachen in 1986 as a not-for-profit organization following earlier initiatives by Bernhard Siepen, architect, who has been its president since 2000. Early supporters were the long-standing Aachen member of parliament, Dr. Hans Stercken, and Consul Cornel Renfert, of the Franco-German Chamber of Commerce, Paris.[citation needed]

Background

The first model, the Donjon of

donjons, then Crusader castles and bazaars as well as medieval ships, for some time now ICRS has been working on creating models of palaces typical of the 9th to 12th centuries. There are also plans for a model of the imperial Aachen palace of Charlemagne, dating from around AD 800, and of historic buildings in Jerusalem.[citation needed
]

ICRS activities

The president, team and ICRS consultants:[citation needed]

  • create models of historic buildings, ships, life- scenes
  • bring these models to life peopling them with hand-painted figurines
  • present models, descriptions, plans of important castles
  • organize seminars, talks, multimedia shows as well as visits to exhibitions and existing historic buildings
  • support and organize research study courses on historic buildings at school and university level
  • train young people in handicrafts relating to creating models

Models

Models created by ICRS based on historical sources, at 1/25 of natural size

Exhibitions

More than one million people in both in Europe and North America so far have visited ICRS exhibitions.[citation needed]

Place Museum Year Title of exhibition
Bonn LVR State Museum 2009 Models of Medieval Castles
Washington D.C.
National Geographic Museum 2006 Castles of the Crusades. A view in miniature
Omaha (Nebraska)
Joslyn Art Museum 2006 French Donjons: Castle of Coucy, Medieval Life in Miniature
Frankfort on the Main
Museum of Archaeology 2005/2006 Castles and Bazaars of Crusader Times
Sully-sur-Loire Château de Sully-sur-Loire 2005 In the Days of the Donjons (Au temps des donjons)
Solingen / Wuppertal Schloß Burg 2005 Donjon of Coucy
Düsseldorf Haus der Architekten 2004/05 Aleppo to Coucy – Orient to Occident
Kulmbach Plassenburg 2004 French Donjons
Frankfort on the Main Museum of Archaeology 2003 Medieval Skyscrapers
Mönchengladbach Schloss Rheydt 2002 Coucy 1225
Erfurt Runneburg 2001 French Castles
Washington D.C. National Geographic Museum 2001 French Donjons: Castle of Donjon
Dresden Kriebstein Castle 2000 French Donjons
Coburg Veste Coburg 2000 French Donjons – Mighty Castles
Meissen Albrechtsburg 2000 French Donjons
Soissons Musée de Soissons: St. Leger Abbey 1999 Château de Coucy, Image et mémoire
Strasbourg Hôtel du Département 1999 Les donjons français
Loches Château de Loches 1998 Les donjons de l’ouest de la France
Aachen Public Hall Aachen Savings Bank 1998 French Donjons

Publications

External links