Pszczyna Castle

Pszczyna Castle
Pszczyna Castle
Location	ul. Brama Wybranców 1; 43-200 Pszczyna
Coordinates	49°58′41″N 18°56′25″E / 49.97806°N 18.94028°E
Elevation	242 m
Built	12th century
Rebuilt	15th century, 16th century, 1734–1768, 1870–1876
Architect	1870–1876: Hippolyte Destailleur
Architectural style(s)	Baroque Revival architecture
Historic Monument of Poland
Designated	2021-04-19
Reference no.	Dz. U. z 2021 r. poz. 769
	Location of Pszczyna Castle in Poland

Pszczyna Castle (Polish: Zamek w Pszczynie, German: Schloss Pleß) is a classical-style palace in the town of Pszczyna in southern Poland. Constructed as a castle in 13th century or earlier, in a Gothic architectural style, it was rebuilt in a Renaissance style in the 17th century. During the course of the 18th and 19th centuries, the exterior of the castle was partially changed into a Baroque-Classical style. The Classicist modernization transformed the complex into what is usually described a palace.

In its history the castle was a residence of Polish, incl. Silesian,

Hans Heinrich XV

in 1936.

In 2009 it was voted as one of the "Seven Architectural Wonders of the Silesian Voivodeship" by the Silesian authorities and is often described as one of the most beautiful castle residences in Poland.^[2]

History

In the early the Middle Ages, Pszczyna was a stronghold of the

Bishopric of Kraków. In 1548, the palace was sold to the noble Promnitz family from Saxony and given a Renaissance appearance, which it lost after a fire. It was subsequently rebuilt in a more baroque

style.

In 1705, Baroque composer

Erdmann II of Promnitz, privy Councillor to Augustus II the Strong

, elector of Saxony and king of Poland, and spent considerable time at the Pszczyna Palace when the latter's court summered there. This gave Telemann an opportunity to study Polish and Moravian folk music, which fascinated and inspired him.

In 1742 Pless became part of the Kingdom of Prussia. In 1848 the Duchy of Pless became a principality, ruled by the Hochberg-Fuerstenstein family until 1939. Between 1870 and 1876, reconstruction of the palace was directed by the French architect Gabriel-Hippolyte Destailleur.

During the

William II, German Emperor, and there are pictures on display of him together with Generals such as Erich Ludendorff and Paul von Hindenburg discussing military operations. After the war and a plebiscite in 1921, the town became again part of Poland. Following the joint German-Soviet invasion of Poland in September 1939 at the start of World War II, the complex was occupied by the Wehrmacht

.

After the Second World War, Upper Silesia became part of the Polish People's Republic. For a brief period there was a Soviet military hospital in the palace, but in May 1946 it was turned into a museum, which still operates today.

Interior

The Royal Apartments, also referred to as the Apartamenty Cesarskie, are the rooms in which the rulers of the principality and the German Kaiser resided. They have been fully recreated with an all of the original furnishings intact.

When ascending the Grand Staircase, designed by Destailleur, the apartments of

Hans Heinrich XV and left her native England

, until her death in 1943. The rooms are decorated with pictures of the princess and hunting trophies of her husband and the German Emperor.

The highlight of the palace is its eclectic Chamber of Mirrors. An

art nouveau

dining hall and the smaller rooms are another place of interest.