The Corian models of the Pergamon Altar and the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos

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 reunication 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 suered 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 dierent 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

sacrice 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

dicult 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

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

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 dicult 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!

The Corian models of the Pergamon Altar and the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos

Wolfram Hoepfner

doi:10.37190/arc240110