Former Masonic Lodge in Kętrzyn

The white neo-Gothic villa with octagonal turrets on Mickiewicza Street in Kętrzyn is the former seat of the Masonic lodge "Drei Thore des Tempels" ("Three Gates of the Temple"). Built in 1860–1864 on the site of the old town moat, it is one of the few surviving examples of Masonic architecture in Poland. Today it houses a Polish-German association and a café.

History: a brotherhood in Rastenburg

The lodge was founded on 9 October 1818 in what was then Rastenburg and belonged to the Grand National Lodge of the Prussian States. Construction of its own seat was initiated in 1860 by its master, Anton Brillowski, and completed in 1864. After the Nazis came to power the lodge was dissolved and its property taken over by the town.

After the Second World War the building housed a cultural centre and the "Bajka" cinema. In 1999 it was thoroughly restored. Today it is home to the Arno Holz Association for Polish-German Understanding – named after the poet and playwright born in Rastenburg – as well as a café and a branch of the Municipal Public Library.

What to see

• A two-storey building on a rectangular plan with a flat roof and four octagonal turrets at the corners.
• A five-sided projection with the staircase on the east side, under a pyramid roof.
• Facades inspired by English Gothic – an unusual sight in a Masurian town dominated by Teutonic brick walls.

Tripto tips

• You view the building from outside, from the small square beside it; you can look inside when visiting the café or library.
• Sources give different house numbers on Mickiewicza Street (1, 5 or 11), so simply look out for the distinctive turrets.
• Fifteen minutes is enough for the villa. Combine it with a walk to the Teutonic castle and St George's Church nearby.