The Żmigród Palace, located in the picturesque Lower Silesia region, is a place with a rich and turbulent history that dates back to the Middle Ages. The history of the settlement of Żmigród (Zunigrod) is documented as early as 1155, when it was mentioned for the first time in a protection bull by Pope Hadrian IV. However, the existence of the fortress is first mentioned only at the end of the 13th century, when it was owned or leased by a certain Gebhard. It was a wooden building, probably erected by one of the Wrocław dukes, Bolesław Rogatka or Henry III the White.
Żmigród, which was part of the Duchy of Wrocław, played an important strategic role. A town founded by Henry III was developing in its vicinity, and the stronghold served to protect the borders of the duchy and to control the trade routes leading through Wrocław and Poznań to Pomerania. Later, in place of the wooden fortress, a stone defensive building was built, which may have been initiated by Konrad I Oleśnicki or his son Konrad II. After the death of the last Olesnica Piast in 1492, Żmigród became the property of the Czech king Władysław Jagiellończyk, who handed it over to the royal counsellor Sigmunt von Kurzbach. In 1560, Wilhelm von Kurzbach built a late-Gothic residential and defence tower, which is still the oldest surviving element of the palace.
The palace in the second half of the 19th century. Source: Sammlung Duncker, http://www.zlb.de/digitalesammlungen/index.php?collection=1 Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin, Berlin
In the 17th century, after many changes of ownership, Zmigrod became the property of the Austrian Field Marshal, Count Melchior von Hatzfeldt. It was his reign and that of his family that had a key influence on the final shape of the palace. Melchior transformed the medieval castle, and his descendants continued to expand the residence. Franz von Hatzfeldt, who took over the estate in the 18th century, carried out a major reconstruction of the palace, giving it a Baroque character according to a design by the imperial architect Christopher Hackner. One of the most important events in the history of the palace was a meeting in July 1813, when the Żmigród palace briefly became the political centre of Europe. At the invitation of Prince Franz Ludwig von Hatzfeldt, the palace was visited by, among others, Tsar Alexander I of Russia, King Frederick William III of Prussia and the heir to the Swedish throne, John Charles. For three days, a war plan was drawn up in the palace, which contributed to the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte’s army at the Battle of Leipzig.
After Franz Ludwig von Hatzfeldt’s death in 1827, the estate passed to his son Hermann I and then to his grandson Hermann II, who carried out a Neo-Renaissance reconstruction of the palace. At the end of the Second World War, in August 1944, Hermann III – another heir to the palace – foresaw the defeat of Germany and decided to secure the most valuable furnishings of the residence, transporting them to his family’s castle Crottorf in Rhineland-Palatinate. After the occupation of Żmigród by the Red Army in January 1945, the historic palace was destroyed by a fire, probably started by soldiers. In the decades that followed, the building remained abandoned until, in 2007-2012, its ruins underwent extensive renovation thanks to EU funding, which made it safe from further deterioration. Works included restoring the façade and building platforms. The western wing, demolished in the 1970s, was replaced by an openwork structure with a lapidarium to remind visitors of the non-existing part of the residence.
The palace in 1937 and 2023. Source: Christoph Hackner. Ein schlesischer Barockbaumeister Hans Jung Gottlieb Korn, Breslau – 1939 and bogox/photopolska.eu, Licence: Public Domain
In September 2008, a ceremony was held to mark the completion of the first phase of the work, which was attended by the 93-year-old daughter of the last owner, Hubert von Hatzfeldt, and her family. The tower, which formerly defended access to the castle, has been transformed into a cultural centre, where visitors can now explore various levels, including a cellar with a historical exhibition, a conference room, a theatre stage, a hotel suite and an observation deck. The palace park, which combines features of an 18th-century geometric garden with a 19th-century landscape park, is another attraction of the site. The park is dominated by native vegetation, with catalpa and other unique trees attracting particular attention. The charm of the site is enhanced by small architectural features, including the permanent ruin of the chateau, a tower, an island with bridges, a park pavilion and a picnic clearing with a boat landing.
Source: zamkipolskie.com, klubpodroznikow.com
Read also: Architecture in Poland | History | Renovation | Palace
