fot. Mateusz Markowski/whitemad.pl

The palace in Rybieniec. The monument was saved at the last minute.

·6 March 2026

Rybieniec is a small village in the municipality of Kiszkowo in the district of Gniezno. The palace built here at the beginning of the 20th century served for many years as the main seat of the estate belonging to the von Wendorff family. After World War II, the building was taken over by the state, and then its slow decline began. It was not until 2008 that the badly neglected building found a new owner. Entrepreneur Mieczysław Trzeciak restored it to its former glory and reopened it to visitors. Today, the palace in Rybieniec, commonly referred to as the manor house, is as vibrant as it was 100 years ago.

The history of Rybieniec and the estate

The oldest information about the area refers to the village of Rybno Małe, mentioned in sources as early as the 14th century. The current name, Rybieniec, appeared only in the interwar period. Previously, various names were used, including Rybno Sawickie and Rybienko. Over the centuries, the estate remained in the hands of many noble families. The documents mention, among others, the Rybieńscy, Koszuccy, Niemojewscy, Zebrzydowscy and Przanowscy families. In the 18th century, the estate belonged to Franciszek Bojanowski, and later to subsequent owners associated with the local nobility. In the 19th century, the estate changed hands again until it was sold at a compulsory auction in 1874. At the end of the same century, the farm included several hundred hectares of fields, meadows and forests, as well as farm buildings.

The beginnings of the von Wendorff family residence

A new stage in the history of Rybieniec began in 1902. At that time, the estate was purchased by Wilhelm Wendorff, an economic official associated with the county administration. A few years later, he transferred the estate to his youngest son, Friedrich. The young owner took up residence in the 19th-century manor house, which still existed at that time. Soon, a decision was made to build a new family residence. Construction began in 1914. The work took several years and was completed around 1918. Then Friedrich Wendorff and his wife Gertrude moved into the new residence.

The palace in Rybieniec – architecture

The palace in Rybieniec represents late historicism with references to Baroque and Classicist architecture. The building was constructed of brick, on a rectangular plan, with several protruding parts of the façade. The structure has one storey and an upper floor hidden in a high mansard roof covered with tiles. The front façade is composed of a central risalit housing the main entrance. The portal is semicircular and framed by profiled pilasters supporting a balcony. The rear façade has two protruding wings and a glazed veranda. The whole building is situated on a hill above the slope of Lake Rybno Małe, thanks to which the residence dominates the landscape of the area.

The interiors of the residence

The layout of the rooms has largely retained its original composition. In the centre of the ground floor, there is a representative hall leading to the main living room. On either side of it, there are rooms with representative and private functions. Many elements of the interwar period have survived to this day. These include wooden stairs with a balustrade, ceramic fireplace cladding and decorative tiled stoves. An interesting feature is the hidden passage leading from the owner’s study to the former office. The western part housed the owner’s private apartments, and the attic contained living quarters. The basement housed the kitchen and utility rooms.

Park and farm buildings

The residence is surrounded by a landscape park covering an area of over three hectares. The park was established in the mid-19th century, before the current palace was built. Among other species, oak, chestnut, maple, ash and birch trees grow here. The park is complemented by Lake Rybno Małe, which is an important element of the spatial composition of the entire complex. In the interwar period, there was also an extensive farm here. It included stables, cowsheds, pigsties, grain warehouses and a dairy. The farm specialised in cattle breeding and farming on several hundred hectares of land.

The war years and the end of the old estate

The peaceful life of the Wendorff family in Rybieniec was ended by the events of World War II. At the end of 1944, the owners received news of the death of their youngest son, who had been killed on the Eastern Front. Shortly afterwards, their second son was also killed. At the beginning of 1945, the couple left the estate as the front line approached the area. Soon afterwards, Red Army troops entered Rybieniec. The palace was looted and some of the furnishings were destroyed. Before leaving, the owner hid some of the valuable items on the estate.

The palace in Rybieniec and its fate after 1945

After the war, the estate was taken over by the People’s Republic of Poland. A state-owned farm was established on the grounds, subordinate to the plant in Rybno Wielkie. The interiors of the abandoned Wendorff residence were divided into flats for farm workers. Most of the valuable furnishings had already been removed from the building. Over the following decades, the palace functioned in a changed role, and its technical condition gradually deteriorated. It was not until the political changes at the end of the 20th century that it became possible to sell the property to a private individual, thus saving what remained of it.

Rescue and new life for the residence

The turning point came in 2008, when the palace and the park were purchased by a new owner. He fell in love with Rybieniec at first sight, so he soon began extensive renovation work. As part of the restoration of the palace, many elements of the interior design were recreated and those that had been preserved were renovated, the park with a pond was tidied up and the representative appearance of the entire complex was restored. During the works, some changes were also made to the building’s structure. On the lake side, a large restaurant room with a terrace on the first floor was built, matching the existing composition of the building.

The palace in Rybieniec today

Today, the renovated residence once again attracts visitors. The former cellars now house a restaurant, and some of the rooms are used as accommodation and event space. The owner, Mieczysław Trzeciak, is gradually adding to the furnishings, trying to restore the atmosphere of 100 years ago. Today, the palace in Rybieniec is one of the most interesting examples of landed gentry residences in this part of Greater Poland. After years of neglect, it has regained its former elegance and once again bears witness to the rich history of the region.