The Pyramid in Rapa is a structure that was likely built over 200 years ago. We do not know the exact date of its construction. Some sources indicate the beginning of the second decade of the 19th century, while others suggest the late 18th century. The building gets its name from its shape, which closely resembles the pyramids erected in ancient Egypt. According to some legends, these pyramids inspired the founder of the structure. The Pyramid in Rapa, like its prototypes, is a tomb. Several members of the Fahrenheid family (related to Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit) are buried there.
The base of the Pyramid in Rapa is square and measures 10.4 by 10.4 meters. The entire structure is nearly 16 meters tall. It has three ventilation openings. The angle of the outer walls is 68-70° (the inner walls are angled at 51°52') – reports the website mazury.info. Rapa is located in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in the Gołdap district, within the Banie Mazurskie municipality. Nearby, just 1.5 km away, is the border with Russia (the Kaliningrad Oblast).
The Pyramid in Rapa: A Mausoleum with Many Secrets
The circumstances surrounding the construction of the Pyramid in Rapa are not entirely clear. According to some legends, Friedrich Heinrich von Fahrenheid was responsible for its construction. The mausoleum was supposedly built in 1811 for his three-year-old daughter Ninette. The girl fell ill with scarlet fever and died.
The illness was allegedly caused by a statue of the Egyptian god Anubis. According to superstition, touching it would bring misfortune. This is supposedly what little Ninette did. Why did Friedrich von Fahrenheid choose a pyramid instead of a traditional tomb? Some believe that Fahrenheid was inspired by Egyptian culture during his many travels. That is why the dimensions of the structure in Rapa are similar to those of pyramids built 4,500 years ago. The grieving father wanted his child’s body to remain preserved for many years. The site chosen for the pyramid was believed to concentrate powerful energy from the earth’s core. Such conditions were supposed to aid the mummification process.
The design of the structure was reportedly undertaken by Bertel Thorvaldsen, a well-known Danish sculptor of the time, who also created the Warsaw monuments of Nicolaus Copernicus and Prince Józef Poniatowski. However, this information is not confirmed. Thorvaldsen was also supposedly responsible for the construction of the tomb of Fritz von Fahrenheid, the last male member of the family. However, his body was buried at a now nonexistent estate in Bejnuny Małe (Kaliningrad Oblast).
Other sources suggest that it was not Friedrich von Fahrenheid who funded the Pyramid in Rapa, but his father, Johann Friedrich Wilhelm von Fahrenheid. The tomb was not built in 1811 for little Ninette, but 16 years earlier (in 1795) for Johann’s wife, Friederike Amalie Austin. She was also the first person buried there.
There is no confirmation that the Fahrenheid family was inspired by the pyramids of Egypt. Buildings in this shape were constructed throughout Europe at that time. In Poland alone, there are at least a few, such as in Różnowo (1780). One source also highlights that the shape of the structure is more likely a nod to the symbolism of the popular organization of Freemasonry. Johann and Friedrich von Fahrenheid were reportedly members of the Königsberg Masonic Lodge.
The Tomb Vandalized Over the Years. The "Life" of the Pyramid in Rapa
Seven members of the Fahrenheid family are buried in the Pyramid in Rapa. The tomb remained untouched until the 20th century. The Russians plundered the mausoleum twice: first during World War I and then during World War II. In 1945, the palace in Bejnuny Małe was completely destroyed.
The next people to attack the Pyramid in Rapa were locals from the nearby State Agricultural Farm. In the 1970s, cows in the surrounding farms began dying en masse. The ghosts from the tombs were blamed for the anomalies. Therefore, the residents decided to decapitate the mummified bodies so that the souls of the deceased could find peace and stop tormenting the animals. This ritual was carried out in Rapa, in the tomb in Zakałcz Wielki, and other nearby graves.
The following years marked the decline of the Pyramid in Rapa. Tourists visited the tomb, looked into the coffins, and gradually destroyed the mummified remains of the Fahrenheid family. The roof collapsed, and the foundations were in increasingly poor condition. It was not until 2015 that representatives from the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Warsaw became interested in the site and conducted non-invasive research. A year later, the municipality ordered renovations. Today, the site is completely closed.
