2024
1(77)
Wolfram Hoepfner*
The Corian models of the Pergamon Altar
and the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos
This article – it may be said in advance – refers to the
history of science. It deals with the time 30 years ago, when
thanks to political events global freedom seemed to become
reality. Optimism inspired even academic sciences like ar-
chaeology. Projects were undertaken new in ideas and scale.
In 1989 after the reunication of the two parts of Germa-
ny a period of general restorations started in the Pergamon
Museum. The famous Telephos Frieze from the upper sto-
ry of the great altar had suered from corrosion, because
earlier reconstructions had been done by using iron clamps
and iron dowels. Nearly every slab showed severe damage.
The restoration was done by Italian specialists and took
several years. The results convinced everyone. Wolf-Dieter
Heilmeyer, the director of the museum, wanted to celebrate
this event with a big exhibition of the Pergamon Altar in
general. Thanks to rich donations this exhibition could be
realised and took place in 1996 in the Pergamon Museum in
Berlin, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and
in the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco USA.
A detailed model of the whole Pergamon Altar in the
scale 1:20, was required in order to show the position of
the slabs of the two sculptural friezes shown in the exhi-
bition. Confronted with this job I studied the works done
by Richard Bohn, Jacob Schrammen, Armin von Gerkan
and others and came to the conclusion that visitors would
not understand dierent phases and changes that occurred
in the years when the altar was built und used. I succeed-
DOI: 10.37190/arc240110
Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license
* Institute of Classical Archaeology, Free University of Berlin,
Germany, e-mail: hoepfner.wolfram@googlemail.com
ed to reconstruct the plans of the original design in the
Hellenistic period: clear, equal dimensions on three sides,
and with assumptions of the sculptural additions on the
sacrice table and of the roof of the altar.
In this phase I was lucky to meet Jacek Kościuk from
the Wrocław University of Science and Technology, in
those times a collaborator of the German excavation in
Abû Mînâ in Egypt. He was the only specialist who was
able to design the drawings for all details of the model
wanted. Thirty years ago he was able to master the most
dicult computer programs even in very delicate and dif-
cult demands. And he knew the right persons to carry out
the plans in the best material, in Corian by DuPont.
In the Catalogue of the Exhibition PERGAMON: The
Telephos Frieze from the great Altar (English edition 1996)
page 59 I wrote:
MODEL OF THE PERGAMON ALTAR (1:20)
DIMENSIONS: H 35.1– W 175.5– D 168,7 cm,
MATERIAL: Corian by DuPont and a synthetic mate-
rial consisting of acrylic and powdered marble, Its ne-
ness allows variances of as little as 1/100 mm,
RECONSTRUCTION: Wolfram Hoepfner,
EXECUTION OF THE MODEL DRAWINGS: Jacek Kościuk,
PREPARATORY WORKS: Jürgen Giese,
COORDINATION: Jerzy Jasieńko,
EXECUTION OF ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS:
Kazimierz Szydełko,
EXECUTION OF FRIEZES AND SCULPTURES: Ja-
nusz Kucharski, Grażyna Jaszkierska, and Maciej Al-
brzykowski (Academy of the Art Wroclaw).
Wspomnienia / Memories
1(77)/2024
The Corian models of the Pergamon Altar and the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos 83
The model is now (2023) to be seen in the Abguss-Sam-
mlung of the Freie University in Berlin-Chalottenburg
A few years later, in 2002 the Director of the An-
tikensammlung Berlin Wolf-Dieter Heilmeyer or-
ganised another big exposition DIE GRIECHISCHE
KLASSIK – IDEE ODER WIRKLICHKEIT: It was
seen first in the Martin Gropius-Bau in Berlin and lat-
er in the Kunst- and Ausstellungshalle der Bundesre-
publik Deutschland, Bonn. The real classical period,
the art of the 5
th
century could be seen by first quality
loans from Greece and from other Museums all over
the world. The art of the late classical period (4
th
cen-
tury B.C.) – in a certain way frozen art – could be
demonstrated by another high sophisticated model of
one of the Seven Wonders of the World: The Mausole-
um of Halikarnassos.
The Carian King had erected his own Grave-Monument
in the middle of his new capital town Halikarnassos. For
this huge luxurious tomb of white marble he engaged
the best sculptors from the ancient world. Excavations
were done rst by the British Museum, and marvellous
sculptures can be studied in the British Museum in London.
The later Danish excavation was successful as well and
organized a beautiful museum on the spot. The architectural
elements shown there permitted a reconstruction of the
whole Monument. Uncertain is the position of sculptures.
Fig. 1. Model of the Pergamon Altar, here the east side where Zeus an Athena struggled with Titans (photo by W. Hoepfner)
Il. 1. Model Ołtarza Pergamońskiego, strona wschodnia, gdzie Zeus i Atena zmagają się z Tytanami (fot. W. Hoepfner)
Fig. 2. Model of the Pergamon Altar, here the west side with the big staircase leading to the sacrifice table (photo by W. Hoepfner)
Il. 2. Model ołtarza pergamońskiego, zachodnia strona z dużymi schodami prowadzącymi na stół ofiarny (fot. W. Hoepfner)
84 Wolfram Hoepfner
Fig. 3. Model of the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos,
how described by ancient writers (photo by W. Hoepfner)
Il. 3. Model Mauzoleum w Halikarnasie według
opisu starożytnych pisarzy (fot. W. Hoepfner)
Fig. 4. Model of the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos, here the top
of the monument with the quadriga and the king Mausolus
(photo by W. Hoepfner)
Il. 4. Model Mauzoleum w Halikarnasie, zwieńczenie pomnika
z kwadrygą i królem Mauzolosem (fot. W. Hoepfner)
I discussed my plans of reconstruction of the Mauso-
leum with Jacek Kościuk together with W.-D. Heilmeyer
who gave green light for the construction of a huge and
costly model in scale 1:30.
In the Cataloge Text of the exebition page 422 Nr. 286
I wrote:
MODEL OF THE MAUSOLEUM OF HALIKAR-
NASSOS
DIMENSIONS: H 120 – W 130 – D 160 cm,
MATERIAL: Corian by DuPont and a synthetic materi-
al consisting of acrylic and powdered marble,
RECONSTRUCTION: Wolfram Hoepfner,
EXECUTION OF THE MODEL DRAWINGS: Jacek
Kościuk,
EXECUTION OF ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS:
Kazimierz Szydełko,
EXECUTION OF FRIEZES AND SCULPTURES:
Janusz Kucharski,
COMPANY: CCI Wroclaw,
DURATION: 8 month,
PRECISION: 1/100mm,
SPECIALITY: The model could be easily taken apart.
KEEPING STORAGE: The model is now (2023) kept
in the Zentraldepot SMPK in Friedrichshagen. The Zen-
traldepot is not open to the public.
Five times I travelled to Wroclaw to see the manufac-
turing of the models in progress. Twice I came in vain, be-
cause the work on the columns and especially on the cap-
itals needed much more time and special knowledge. The
delay was caused by issues in developing the form of the
columns, especially with the entasis as well as complex
and dicult systems of the volutes of the capitals. In Ber-
lin we were afraid that these main pieces of the exhibition
would not be ready in time. The last days before opening
of the exhibition by the president of the Republic and the
Lord Mayor of Berlin we were trembling waiting for the
model of the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus to arrive. Ev-
erything was ready, the place in the main room and the
catalogue with very good photographs of the Mausoleum.
In the night before the opening of the exhibition a big
car from Poland arrived with the two parts of the very
heavy model. At exactly 10 o’clock, the cleaning team
exited through one door, while the rst visitors entered
through another. The models became a highlight in the
exhibition, and even today we are proud and lucky that
we were able to present the Greek architecture of the late
classical time with one of the best models ever done of
Greek architecture.
Dear Jacek, I thank you for your friendship and your
collaboration not only in the case mentioned above but
in many elds. I wish you health for many good years
in future!