Landed estates and noble residences in Wojcieszów

Aleksandra Walkowska

doi:10.37190/arc250302

Abstract

Wojcieszów is located in the southwestern part of Silesia, in the Kaczawskie Mountains area of the Western Sudetes. Historically, it was situated within the borders of the Duchy of Świdnica-Jawor. The village is distinguished by a multitude of residential buildings that have functioned over the centuries, which was a consequence of significant land ownership fragmentation as well as the village’s size, i.e., its area and economic potential.

The author’s goal was to attempt to identify medieval and Renaissance noble residences based on analysis of written sources, historical cartography, architectural research on the Stöckel Palace, and field inspection of selected buildings. The essence of the considerations is to indicate the location of historical farmsteads and manors, present data on nomenclature, and provide information from studies concerning changes in land ownership of estates in Wojcieszów.

The results of the presented analyses enable recognition of families possessing estates in Wojcieszów and dating the current area of the town to the Middle Ages period, the time of greatest ownership fragmentation in the 17th-18th centuries, and final transformations related to merging and disappearance of individual estates in light of the town’s industrial development. Based on the collected information, it is possible to date existing palaces to the times of the Middle Ages and Renaissance.

Keywords:
architecture
silesia
middle ages
wojcieszów
manor house

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Aleksandra Walkowska*

Landed estates and noble residences in Wojcieszów

DOI: 10.37190/arc250302

Published in open access. CC BY NC ND license

Abstract

Wojcieszów is located in the southwestern part of Silesia, in the Kaczawskie Mountains of the Western Sudetes. Historically, it lay within the borders

of the Duchy of Świdnica-Jawor. The village is characterised by a multitude of residential buildings that have been in use over the centuries, a conse-

quence of signicant land fragmentation and the village’s size, i.e., its area and economic potential.

The author aimed to identify medieval and Renaissance noble residences by analysing written sources, historical cartography and architectural re-

search on the Stöckel Palace, as well as conducting eld inspections of selected buildings. The discussion focuses on indicating the location of historical

farms and manors, presenting data on nomenclature and providing information on changes in land ownership in Wojcieszów.

The results of the presented analyses make it possible to identify the families who owned estates in Wojcieszów, and to date the town’s current area

to the Middle Ages and the 17

and 18

centuries, when ownership was most fragmented. They also reveal the nal changes related to the merging and

disappearance of individual estates in the light of the town’s industrial development. Based on the information gathered, it is possible to date the existing

palaces to the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

Key words: architecture, Silesia, Middle Ages, Wojcieszów, manor house

Introduction

The location of Wojcieszów in the south-western part

of Silesia, in the Kaczawskie Mountains area of the West-

ern Sudetes, was determined by a trade route running from

Złotoryja in the north to Kamienna Góra, and then through

the Lubawka Pass to the Czech Republic border. Founded

under German law, the village has a medieval chain lay-

out, with homesteads situated on both sides of the road

running alongside the Kaczawa river. In the 13

century,

Wojcieszów was part of the Silesian Duchy and from 1296,

it belonged to the Duchy of Świdnica.

The historical span of the village is approximately 8 km

in the meridian system. Since the 14

century, Wojcieszów

has been divided into three parts: Wojcieszów Dolny (Ger-

man: Nieder-Kauung), the northernmost part; Wojcieszów

Średni (German: Mittel-Kauung), the middle part; and

Woj cieszów Górny (German: Ober-Kauung), the southern-

most part. These names indicate their geographical location

rather than ownership, as there were more than three knight-

ly estates in the village from the 14

century and onwards.

During the period of greatest land ownership fragmentation,

which occurred in the 17

and 18

centuries, ten estates were

re corded in Wojcieszów (Zimmerman 1786, 376), whereas

only three were functioning in the 1930s: Stöckel-Kauung,

Nie mitz-Kauung, and Heiland-Kauung. Five mansions and

palaces have been preserved in Wojcieszów to this day.

The rst written mention of Wojcieszów was in 1268 as

“Coufunge” (Irgang, Appelt and Menzel 1988, D 127), and

around 1300 the Codex Diplomaticus Silesiae mentions

the name “Woycezdorf” (“Adalbert’s village”) (Markgraf,

Schulte 1889, 125). Documents from 1507–1543 refer to

the place as Woiczdorf (Stockmann 1892, 7), which is also

recorded as Woitsdorf or Woitzdorf. The term “Kaufung” or

“Woiczdorf” is used interchangeably. This makes it possible

to conclude that today’s Wojcieszów should be identied

with both Woiczdorf and Kauung.

Research purpose and methods

Wojcieszów stands out among other Silesian villages due

to the large number of residential buildings that have been

* ORCID:

0009-0002-3908-8591. Faculty of Architecture, Wro cław

University of Science and Technology, Poland, e-mail: aleksandra. walkowska @

pwr.edu.pl

16 Aleksandra Walkowska

in use for centuries. This was due to the considerable frag-

mentation of land ownership and the size of the village, i.e.,

its acreage and economic potential.

The following considerations aim to identify medieval

and Renaissance seats of nobility based on an analysis of

written sources, historical cartography and architectural re-

search on the Stöckel Palace, as well as a eld inspection of

existing palaces in Wojcieszów. The location of historical

manors and farmsteads will also be indicated, together with

data on nomenclature and information from studies con-

cerning changes in the ownership of landed estates.

The analysis of source publications forming the basis of

these considerations focused on accounts of the transforma-

tion of land ownership from the 14

to the 17

cen tury, and

the subsequent development of noble estates from the 18

to the 19

century. The iconographic sources ana lysed were

primarily Friedrich Bernhard Werner’s engraving from the

mid-18

century (Werner 1758), as well as archival post-

cards and photographs available at www.polska-org.pl and

www.fotopolska.eu. The most important aspect of the car-

tographic analysis was to compare historical estate maps

with current digital maps. This made it possible to identify

changes in the spatial layout of buildings, land use, and the

communication network. This analysis enabled elements of

historic buildings to be isolated in the contemporary land-

scape. Numerical terrain model data, created using LiDAR

measurement data from airborne laser scanning (ALS),

were employed in the study. Based on this, remnants of for-

mer cultural landscape elements were identied, including

the probable course of the moat at the Nieder estate. The

cartographic sources most relevant to the following analy-

sis are Regler’s 1860s map and 19

-century German topo-

graphic maps.

The architectural survey of Stöckel Palace, carried out

in 2023, is an important consideration when evaluating the

architecture of lordly residences in Wojcieszów. The results

of the survey formed the basis for identifying the construc-

tion phases. Based on dierences in technology, materials

and forms of detail, it was possible to determine the extent

of the oldest foundation – likely dating from the late 16

century – and to trace its transformations up to the early

century.

Results

Analysis of source materials

concerning the transformation of land ownership

in the 14

–17

centuries

The Landbuchs of the Duchies of Świdnica and Jawor

from 1366–1407 document Wojcieszów from 1367 (Jurek

2004, 17, no. 72), when a document concerning the trans-

fer of the estates to the Kouunge brothers was issued by

Prince Bolko II. Further research into changes in the own-

ership of landed estates revealed three families, who owned

estates in Wojcieszów: Zedlitz, von Redern, and Stumpln.

Given the time span (1366–1407), it can be concluded that

the properties relate to more than one generation. Despite

the lack of information on inheritance, the continuation

of the family name (with dierent rst names) testies to

possession being maintained within one family. Four sepa-

rate estates can be identied, two of which are described in

such a way as to indicate the locations of today’s palaces.

These locations are also mentioned in 18

-century sources.

The Mittel estate, located in the centre of Wojcieszów,

was described as follows: […] daz vorderwerk bei der

kirchen in dem dorfe zu Kouungen [transl. the farmstead

near the churches in the village of Wojcieszów] (Jurek

2000, 95, no. 466), in an entry concerning the sale of the es-

tate between the Heinrich and Hentschil von Czedelicz, and

Jon von Redern brothers. The farmstead was situated with-

in the original village layout, close to the Catholic parish

church, which was rst documented in 1366 (Jurek 2004,

34, no. 170), as well as the Protestant church. The rst re-

corded instance of property being granted to the Zedlitz

family in Wojcieszów was the transfer to Hentschil Coppe

von Zedlitz by Duke Bolko II in 1366 “for his faithful ser-

vice” (Jurek 2004, 17, no. 136).

The Nieder Palace, located in the northern part of the

village and described as “Niedervorwerk” (Jurek 2007,

375, no. 1415), was in the possession of Nickel Stumpl

in 1403. Stumpl was listed as the possessor of the Woj-

cieszów estate from 1397 (Jurek 2007, 77, 78, no. 307). In

-century sources, the Nieder palace was the only inde-

pendent estate in the lower part of the village.

The other two estates that appear in the land books come

from the upper (southern) part of the village – Oberdorf. As

the successive owners do not coincide, it can be concluded

that the entries bearing the terms oberste, obirgut and oben

am ende did not refer to one estate, but two. The Elbel,

Lest, Stimpel and Stöckel estates were included in the “up-

per” Wojcieszów.

The rst of these estates is mentioned in an entry con-

cerning the sale of the highest manor to the south (oberste)

by the brothers Ticze and Nickel von Czedlicz to Jon von

Redern (Jurek 2000, 95, no. 465). The brothers rst appear

as owners of the estate in 1368 (Jurek 2004, 42, no. 210).

The second estate, located at the upper end of the village

– “in dem Dorfe zu Kauungen oben am Ende” – belonged

to the Stumpln family. Heinrich Stumpln rst appeared

in an entry of 1388, in which he was listed as the holder

of rents in Wojcieszów (Jurek 2007, 109, no. 537). Fur-

ther ownership of the Stumpln family was inherited by

the brothers Henric, Wyker and Conrad, who were perhaps

the next generation of heirs. Due to the coincidence of the

Stumpln [Stompl, Stumphil] surname with the name of

the Stimpel estate present on 18

-century maps, it can be

inferred that the estate belonged to this family.

All the data from the land books prove that Wojcieszów

had its contemporary acreage and was divided into three

parts (upper, middle and lower) by the 14

century, with

the estates distant from each other. The southernmost part,

Nieder, and the two parts located further north, Ober, were

situated at a considerable distance from the village centre,

which was located near the churches.

Two further sources, the Register of Military Obliga-

tions of the Fiefs of the Duchies of Świdnica and Jawor

from 1550 and 1602, showed that the amount of military

tax was proportional to the size of the landed estates. The

following family names were listed: Rederer, von Reder,

Landed estates and noble residences in Wojcieszów 17

Zedlitz and Sedlitz in 1550 (Rejestr powinności… 1550);

and von Reder, von Redern, von Seidlitz and Stimpel in

1602 (Rejestr powinności… 1602). While these surnames

overlap with those listed in Landbuch I–III, it is not possi-

ble to assign them to specic manors and residences due to

the fragmentation of noble properties. Nevertheless, it can

be estimated that there were already at least six estates in

Wojcieszów at the turn of the 16

and 17

centuries.

Analysis of publications of source value

from the 18

to 19

centuries

In the sixth part of his inventory, Friedrich Albert Zim-

mermann (Zimmermann 1786, 376) presented ten estates

and divided the village of Kauung into three parts: Ober-,

Mittel- and Nieder-. Wojcieszów was also included in Jo-

hann Gottfried Knie’s inventories of villages, settlements

and towns in the Silesian province, published in 1830

(Knie, Melcher 1830, 323, 324) and 1845 (Knie 1845, 279).

Both publications maintained the division of villages, list-

ing nine estates in 1830 (Tschirnhaus-Kauung was omit-

ted by mistake) and ten in 1845. Paul Stockmann compiled

the chronology of ownership of the ten estates in the Woj-

cieszów monograph (Stockmann 1892). The entry is anno-

tated to indicate that the information was partly taken from

land books, old land registers and from jury books. The list

contains ten landed estates and their owners. The nomen-

ature used in the aforementioned items generally coin-

cides. The Elbel-, Stöckel-, Lest-, Stimpel-, Tschirnhaus-,

Hei land-, Niemitz-, Mittel-, Nieder- and Lehngut-Kauung

estates have the same names in both Knie publications

(Knie, Melcher, 1830; Knie, 1845) and Stockmann’s mono-

graph (Stockmann 1892). For the Elbel-, Lest-, Mittel- and

Nieder estates

, Zimmermann uses the names of the owners

(Zimmermann 1786), while identication of the estates is

possible based on ownership data according to Stockmann

(Stockmann 1892). Address books from 1857, 1873, 1892

and 1910 and 1912 are less consistent in their descriptions

of the ten estates due to ownership changes and mergers.

Twenty-rst-century publications are much less detailed;

for example, Robert Weber only describes Stöckel-Kauf-

fung (Weber 1909, 31, 32; Tafel 90–91). A contemporary

catalogue of art monuments, published in 2006 (Brzezicki

et al. 2006), mentions three Stöckel-, Mittel- and Nieder-

Kauung palaces.

Analysis of iconographic and cartographic sources

In the fth volume of his mid-18

-century lexicon (Wer-

ner 1758), Werner included a drawing showing the manor

and farmhouse buildings located in the vicinity of the river-

bed. The drawing is signed: “Kauungen. Obere Hof”. The

text of the manuscript notes the presence of seven noble

residences but does not provide additional information to

identify the owners of the depicted buildings. According to

Artur Kwaśniewski’s interpretation (Kwaśniewski 2023),

the manuscript presented two manors: Elbel and Lest. The

Lest estate was visible in its entirety, while the Elbel es-

tate was depicted as an elongated brick building in the cor-

ner. The author of this text interprets Werner’s depiction

as the Stöckel manor house with an adjoining kitchen on

the southern elevation, located on a slope descending west-

wards towards the Kaczawa stream (Fig. 1).

Today, an invaluable cartographic source is Regler’s map

from the 1760s (Regler 1763/1770). This depicts se veral

manor settlements, ten of which can be located in places

la ter described as noble estates (see Fig. 2). Based on the

sour ces cited below, the question of the ownership division

of the village remains unresolved. One nobleman’s estate

may include several manor houses and not necessarily con-

tain a lord’s house, but recording the names of the estates

provides information about the formation of the village

structure. From the map, it can be concluded that the Mittel

estate, located next to the church, was probably established

within the framework of Wojcieszów’s incorporation. In

contrast, the Ober and Nieder manors were built outside the

village structure dened by the manorial layout when there

were no more freeholds in the village. The map perpetuates

the division into Ober-, Mittel-, and Nieder-Kauung. Some

of the aforementioned estates have signatures: the Niemitz

Fig. 1. Panorama of the upper

part of Wojcieszów.

The south-west corner of

the Renaissance manor house

is visible (source: Werner 1758)

Il. 1. Panorama górnej części

Wojcieszowa,

widoczny południowo-zachodni

narożnik renesansowego dworu

(źródło: Werner 1758)

18 Aleksandra Walkowska

estate – von Zedlitz; the Stöckel estate – Conrad von Zedlitz;

and the Stimpel estate – Stümpl. These refer to the own-

ers: according to Stockmann’s census (Stockmann 1892),

the von Zedlitz family was in possession of the Niemitz es-

tate between approximately 1602 and 1803 and the Stöckel

estate between approximately 1611 and 1777. Stockmann

(1892) and Weber (1909) both record the acquisition of the

estate by Conrad von Zedlitz in 1727. Stockmann’s publi-

cation (1892) conrms the Stümpl family’s ownership of

the Stimpel estate, while the property inventory places the

Stümpl family as the initial owners without specifying the

time of entry into possession. It can be estimated that this

occurred in the late 15

/early 16

century.

An analysis of 19

-century German topographical maps

enables the ten estates to be located within the village

structure. The Urmesstischblatt of 1824 does not contain

descriptions of the individual estates, but the division of

the village is maintained and the buildings corresponding

to the individual estates are visible. Messtischblatt maps,

1886 edition (Urmesstischblatt 1883–1944) show nine of

the estates and illustrate the development of each estate. At

this stage of Wojcieszów’s development in the 2

half of

the 19

century, two of the estates have already been omit-

ted. Stimpel-Kauung can only be located based on earlier

depictions. Meanwhile, Tschirnhaus-Kauung can be seen

as buildings associated with the railway station and lime

works. These buildings do not have a manorial form; they

have been adapted for transport. The course of the railway

line here is marked together with sidings (see Fig. 3).

Remains of residential and defensive structures

in existing palaces (field verification)

The research aimed to locate the remains of residential

and defensive structures within the ten estates that have been

documented since the 18

century. A comparative analysis

was carried out using the latest cartographic representations

of the Messtischblatt map of Wojcieszów, the results of the

local inspection and numerical terrain models. Five palaces

can be identied within the current structure of Wojcieszów

and will be discussed in more detail later in this article.

However, the location of the other ve estates described in

- and 19

-century sources is uncertain. These are the

Lehngut estate, which is now home to the Złotoryja Forest

District and has a long-standing connection with forestry;

the Heiland and Tschirnhaus estates, which were historical-

ly linked to limestone mining; the Stimpel estate, which was

omitted from the Messtischblatt maps; and the Elbel estate,

which, according to Stockmann, was never independent.

Fig. 3. Map of Messtischblatt, sheet no. 2948, Kauffung, 1886 edition.

The location of ten landowners’ estates in Wojcieszów is shown;

five of which are marked with crosshatching,

are discussed in the article

(elaborated by A. Walkowska; source: Urmesstischblatt 1883–1944)

Il. 3. Mapa Messtischblatt, arkusz Nr 2948 Kauffung, edycja z 1886 r.

Lokalizacja dziesięciu majątków ziemskich na terenie Wojcieszowa,

pięć oznaczonych zaszrafowaniem zostało omówionych w treści

artykułu (oprac. A. Walkowska; źródło: Urmesstischblatt 1883–1944)

Fig. 2. Regler’s map. Location of ten landed estates in Wojcieszów

(elaborated by A. Walkowska; source: Regler, 1763/1770)

Il. 2. Mapa Reglera, lata 60. XVIII w.

Lokalizacja dziesięciu majątków ziemskich na terenie Wojcieszowa

(oprac. A. Walkowska; źródło: Regler 1763/1770)

Landed estates and noble residences in Wojcieszów 19

The Nieder Palace, the second estate in the lower part

of Wojcieszów, was built in its current form at the turn

of the 17

and 18

centuries. It was preceded by a late

Renaissance building, traces of which can be found in the

form of cross and barrel vaults with lunettes in almost ev-

ery room on the ground oor (Fig. 4). This building was

probably created by extending an even older castle-manor

house, probably medieval (Sa wińska, Sawiński 1992b).

The oldest part can be identied as the eastern, tripartite

range of the building, which has an elongated, rectangu-

lar ground plan measuring approximately 22.5 × 9.5 m in

external outline. This is quite typical of one-aisle lord’s

houses

from the Middle Ages and early modern period.

In the 14

–16

centuries, single-bay castle or manor houses were

quite common in Silesia, with an elongated rectangular plan measuring

9–10 × 20–30 m. The popularity of the rst dimension resulted from the

optimization of the length of the ceiling beams (7–8 m + 2 × thickness

The inability to carry out opencast excavations at ground

oor or basement level in the present palace does not pro-

vide a basis for verifying this thesis. However, it is plausi-

ble in view of the very early references already cited (Jurek

2007, 375, no. 1415), as well as the historical cartography.

This shows the remains of the moat ring, which are vis-

ible on both the Regler map (Regler 1763/1770) and the

of the external walls of 1.0–1.5 m each). The second dimension resulted

from the length of the curtain wall, to which the residential wing of the

building was added. These houses were two- or three-part. Examples of

such layouts include: Bolków Castle, tripartite northern house (B1–B2)

(Chorowska 2003, 112), Chudów Castle, southern house (Nocuń 2019,

70, Fig. 2), Grodno Castle, southern wing (Chorowska 2021), Jaźwina

eastern manor, northern and southern houses (Błoniewski, Chorowska

2023a), Kamionna, southern house (Adamska et al. 2024), Siedlimo-

wice Castle, eastern wing (Błoniewski, Chorowska 2023b), Słupice,

eastern wing (Błoniewski, Chorowska, Czarnecka 2023).

Fig. 4. Nieder Palace:

a) ground floor plan with the eastern range marked. Probably dating from the Middle Ages or the early modern period

(elaborated by A. Walkowska, source: Sawińska, Sawiński, 1992b),

b) depiction on von Regler’s map (Regler 1763/1770), c) depiction on the Kaczawa River regulation map (Mapa regulacji rzeki Kaczawy 1908),

d) numerical model of the area with the probable course of the moat marked (elaborated by A. Walkowska)

Il. 4. Pałac Nieder:

a) rzut parteru z zaznaczonym pasmem wschodnim, prawdopodobnie powstałym w średniowieczu lub wczesnej nowożytności

(oprac. A. Walkowska, źródło: Sawińska, Sawiński 1992b),

b) przedstawienie na mapie Reglera (Regler 1763/1770), c) przedstawienie na mapie regulacji rzeki Kaczawy (Mapa regulacji rzeki Kaczawy 1908),

d) numeryczny model terenu z zaznaczonym prawdopodobnym przebiegiem fosy (oprac. A. Walkowska)

20 Aleksandra Walkowska

Urmesstischblatt of 1824. The outline of the defensive wall

is also shown on the 1908 map of the Kaczawa River regu-

lation (Mapa regulacji rzeki Kaczawy 1908) (Fig. 4).

The Mittel Palace is located in the centre of Wojcieszów.

This rectangular, single-storey building has a mansard roof.

It was probably erected in its present form at the turn of

the 18

and 19

centuries, in the Baroque style with ele-

ments of Classicism, on the site of a much older building

dating back to at least the 16

century. This is evidenced

by the introduction of lunette barrel vaults with clearly

visible seams, which are preserved on the ground oor

rooms (Kwiecień 1992). In the basement, in the northern

part of the building, there are two doorways: one frames the

original opening, while the other was added later (Fig. 5).

The breakthroughs in the walls of the northern part of the

basement reveal broken stone and hard, heavily lime-based

mortar, characteristic of walls erected in the 16

century.

The basement rooms are cradle vaulted in an east-west di-

rection. The building originally had a basement only on the

north side, which suggests that it was an extension to an

older, probably medieval, non-basement structure. Howev-

er, the lack of access to the walls at ground and rst oor

level (the building has recently been renovated) makes it

impossible to verify this hypothesis.

Fig. 5. Mittel Palace:

a) semi-circular doorway with thin chamfer and propeller constituting an opening frame in situ,

b) rectangular opening frame mounted secondarily in Renaissance window stonework with fascia profile

(photo by A. Walkowska)

Il. 5. Pałac Mittel:

a) półkolisty otwór drzwiowy z cienką fazą i śmigą, stanowiący obramienie otworu in situ,

b) prostokątne obramienie otworu zamontowane wtórnie w renesansie z kamieniarki okiennej o profilu fascjowym

(fot. A. Walkowska)

In his monograph on the defensive foundations in Sile-

sia, Kurt Bimler included a description of the remains of

fortications in Mittel-Kauung when mentioning Woj-

cieszów, interpreting them as a remnant of a “primitive de-

fensive system of a land estate” (Bimler 1943, 85, 86). The

monument charter, drawn up by Adam Kwiecień (Kwiecień

1992), suggests that the remains of Mittel’s original defen-

sive establishment are two towers located in the palace

park, which were rebuilt in the 19

/20

century. The larger

of the two towers is located to the south-west of the palace.

Its walls are built of broken stone and ne brick with marls,

with a ne, light, loose mortar containing a high proportion

of dusty lime. The building is tall and has three storeys,

with remains of beamed ceilings and window openings vis-

ible in the masonry. The mortar used in the construction

of the building, the size and shape of the bricks, and the

form of the window recesses with attened bows, allow

us to date the construction of this tower to the 1

half of

the 17

century. The second tower, which is smaller and

currently used for domestic purposes, is located behind the

manor house on the north-eastern side. It is similar in size,

as indicated by the construction techniques and materials

used. Taking into account the conclusions drawn from the

analysis of historical cartography, including Regler’s map

Landed estates and noble residences in Wojcieszów 21

pact

and massive structure. The two-storey building has

a full basement and a habitable attic and is covered with

a hipped mansard roof topped with an openwork turret and

pointed cupola. The building’s current form dates from its

reconstruction following the 1816 re, which destroyed

several outbuildings along with the palace. The date on the

wind chime is connected to the Neo-Gothic reconstruction

of the building in 1863–1864 (Sawińska, Sawiński 1992a).

Fig. 6. Mittel Palace:

a) Regler’s map showing the manor’s development schematically, indicating two encircling walls: an inner wall

with “accented” corners and an outer wall (Regler 1763/1770),

b) numerical model of the area outlining the two wall rings: an inner quadrilateral wall with corner towers and an outer wall

encircling the entire manor development area,

c) the south-western tower, d) the north-eastern tower (elaborated and photo by A. Walkowska)

Il. 6. Pałac Mittel:

a) mapa Reglera przedstawiająca zabudowę majątku w sposób schematyczny, ale wskazujący, że istniały dwa mury okalające

– wewnętrzny z narożnymi „akcentami” oraz zewnętrzny (Regler 1763/1770),

b) numeryczny model terenu z naniesionym obrysem dwóch pierścieni murów, wewnętrznym, czworobocznym,

z basztami w narożnikach, oraz zewnętrznym, okalającym całą powierzchnię zabudowy folwarku,

c) baszta południowo-zachodnia, d) baszta północno-wschodnia

(oprac. i fot. A. Walkowska)

a b

and Messtischblatt maps, on which the Mittel seat is shown

within a walled defensive perimeter of a square design with

corner towers, it can be assumed that such a wall existed in

the 1

half of the 17

century, providing the building with

defensive capabilities (Fig. 6).

The Niemitz Palace is located in the central part of Woj-

cieszów, further south, on the left bank of the river and

about 600 m from the village centre. The palace is a com-

22 Aleksandra Walkowska

During this reconstruction, the front was probably turned

towards the road and the entrance axis was strengthened

in the form of towers. As the palace is privately owned,

it is not possible to carry out an on-site inspection of the

interior. An additional description in the white paper was

therefore used for dating purposes: […] on the rst oor,

the vestibule and rooms in the eastern wing to the south

have barrel vaults with lunettes and cross vaulting (two

southern rooms); the northern corridor is also vaulted

(Sawińska, Sawiński 1992a, 5). The complete basement of

the building may also indicate the homogeneity of the pres

ent block’s origin. The plan shows that the wide hallway

originally led to a narrow passageway. The front was where

the hallway is now, overlooking the manor yard, and the

back was where the passageway is now, overlooking the

road. It is likely that during the rebuilding in 1863–1864

the front was turned towards the road and the entrance axis

was reinforced with towers. Presumably, the large hall to

the left of the hallway, which has a pillar in the middle, may

have been the kitchen, with the bottle chimney having been

removed during the rebuild (Fig. 7).

The Stöckel Palace was built on a roughly rectangular

plan, with a tower in the south-west corner. The two-storey

body of the building is covered with a gable roof and has

façades. The north-facing front elevation contains the main

entrance, which is framed by a three-axial risalit, topped

with a triangular gable.

In March 2023, an architectural survey of the Stöckel

Palace was carried out

, made possible by the almost total

absence of plaster and the extensive damage to the walls of

the front elevation, battered external and internal plaster-

work, and dismantled window frames. The research identi-

ed four phases of the building’s transformation, the rst of

which dates back to the late 16

century (Fig. 8).

The earliest building phase is characterised by the use

of a distinctive stone weft, with broken stone and slate em-

ployed in the levelling layers. The courthouse was built on

a roughly rectangular plan, measuring approximately 27 ×

15 m at its outer edges. It was divided into two sections run-

ning the length of the building: a wide section at the front

facing north, and a narrow section at the back facing south.

The longer elevations faced north (front) and south. The

building was designed as a three-storey structure with a res-

idential attic on the third storey and a basement. The build-

ing was suciently well preserved, and the unplastered

walls were clear enough to allow the functional layout of

the individual storeys to be reconstructed. The uppermost

third storey, which was partly under the roof, contained two

bedrooms on the east side, as evidenced by the remains of

two latrine bays (Fig. 9). The roof, as indicated by masonry

relics, probably had two dormers on the main axes of the

longer elevations. Chambers may have been located there.

On the rst oor, at the centre of the plan, there was an

upper vestibule. On both its eastern and western sides were

two ats, which were almost symmetrically distributed in

relation to the vestibule. Each at consisted of two rooms:

a large, heated chamber with windows facing north, and

a narrow chamber containing a toilet bay. Remnants of one

of these ats, including a passageway that had been bricked

up in the rear perimeter wall of the building, were discov-

ered in the eastern suite chamber. On the ground oor, the

large room at the front of the passageway was occupied by

the main hallway. At the centre of the extension of the ves-

tibule, there was a two-legged tunnel staircase, with a nar-

row passageway leading outside the manor house or to the

south extension next to it. Relatively little is known about

The research was carried out on the basis of a survey and drawing

inventory; A. Kościuk, Pracownia Architektoniczna ARCHIKON, con-

cept for the reconstruction of the palace in Wojcieszów, 2019.

Fig. 7. Niemitz Palace: a) ground plan of the palace,

1 – hallway, 2 – passageway, 3 – probable location of the kitchen

(elaborated by A. Walkowska, source: Sawińska, Sawiński 1992a),

b) representation of the Niemitz-Kauffung estate on the Regler map

(Regler 1763/1770),

c) numerical terrain model showing the buildings of the estate

(elaborated by A. Walkowska)

Il. 7. Pałac Niemitz: a) rzut przyziemia pałacu,

1 – sień, 2 – przechód, 3 – prawdopodobna lokalizacja kuchni

(oprac. A. Walkowska, źródło: Sawińska, Sawiński 1992a),

b) przedstawienie majątku Niemitz-Kauffung na mapie Reglera

(Regler 1763/1770),

c) numeryczny model terenu przedstawiający zabudowę majątku

(oprac. A. Walkowska)

Landed estates and noble residences in Wojcieszów 23

Fig. 8. Stöckel Palace,

chronological stratification:

a) northern front elevation,

b) ground floor projection,

c) ground floor projection

(elaborated by A. Walkowska)

Il. 8. Pałac Stöckel,

rozwarstwienie chronologiczne:

a) elewacja północna, frontowa,

b) rzut parteru,

c) rzut piętra

(oprac. A. Walkowska)

24 Aleksandra Walkowska

the function of the ground oor rooms as no clear relics

have survived to indicate the location of the kitchen.

In the Baroque period, probably at the end of the 17

century, a two-storey basement annex was added to the

eastern façade (a buttress is visible on the front façade).

The annex had a ground plan measuring roughly 5 m

and

was probably three storeys high with a basement. Minor

interior alterations involving the use of brick were found,

which appear to have been ongoing repairs and adaptations

to changing operational conditions.

On 4

July 1891 the estate was passed to Richard von

Bergmann, who rebuilt the building in the German Renais-

sance (Neo-Renaissance) style between 1891 and 1892.

The project was commissioned from Wilhelm Rhenius.

The reconstruction signicantly altered the appearance of

the Renaissance manor house. A wing with a high tower

was added to the west. The eastern annex was enlarged,

and a veranda was added. The building was also covered

with a high roof featuring high gables. On 2

July 1930,

the palace partially burnt down. The roof of the main body

and the tower’s spire were destroyed. The subsequent ren-

ovation resulted in the reconstruction of the building in its

current, simplied form.

It is signicant that the ground plan of the Niemitz pal-

ace and the original foundation of the Stöckel palace – the

Renaissance palace – are essentially the same. This coinci-

dence may indicate that the two palaces were constructed

around the same time. Excluding later additions, these are

late Renaissance designs that are highly developed in terms

of function and space

. In both cases, Stockmann’s prop-

The advanced nature of their plans was expressed in the doubling

of tracts, which in the case of Silesian castles and manor houses was gen-

erally in an evolutionary manner in the 2

half of the 16

century. Wide

single-arched buildings could be rebuilt by dividing the outermost rooms

in half, while the central part with the function of a hallway remained

undivided. An example of this was found in the case of the manor house

in Komorowice near Wrocław (Chorowska 2021). Narrow single-tract

Fig. 10. Comparison of ground plans of the Stöckel palace

and the Niemitz palace.

Both have a rectangular plan with proportions

of approximately 1:2, set up as a two-bay,

three-bay layout with a hallway on the axis

(in the case of Stöckel it is shifted slightly towards the west elevation),

with a staircase located on its extension

and continuing into the rear exit

(elaborated by A. Walkowska;

source: Sawińska 1991; Sawińska, Sawiński 1992a)

Il. 10. Porównanie rzutów przyziemia pałacu Stöckel i pałacu Niemitz.

Oba mają plan prostokątny w proporcjach około 1:2,

założony jako dwutraktowy, trójpasmowy z sienią na osi

(w przypadku Stöckel przesuniętą nieco w kierunku

elewacji zachodniej),

z klatką schodową umieszczoną na jej przedłużeniu

oraz dalej przechodzącą w wyjście tylne

(oprac. A. Walkowska,

źródło: Sawińska 1991; Sawińska, Sawiński 1992a)

Fig. 9. Stöckel Palace, preserved remains of two latticework bays

together with the battered frame of the passage

through the east gable wall (photo by A. Walkowska)

Il. 9. Pałac Stöckel, zachowane pozostałości dwóch

wykuszy latrynowych wraz z ciosowym obramieniem przejścia

przez wschodnią ścianę szczytową (fot. A. Walkowska)

erty inventories list the rst owners of the estates as the 1

half of the 16

century. However, the inability to carry out

an architectural survey of the Niemitz Palace means this

thesis cannot be veried (Fig. 10).

The Lest Palace is located at the southern end of the vil-

lage. It was probably built in its current form around 1870,

and the eastern gable of the building bears the initials of its

founder, Traugott Busse. The palace’s body is compact, reg-

buildings were given a second tract, whereby it could be about half the

width of the front tract. In the Wojcieszów manor house the whole layout

was found to be single-phase and a functional distinction of rooms was

noted, with a hallway, hall, passage, a separate tunnel staircase vaulted

chamber with almaria(?) function and heated chambers on the ground

oor and chambers with latrine bays on the oors.

Landed estates and noble residences in Wojcieszów 25

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29, 2024, at https://zamki.pwr.edu.pl/palac-w-kamionnej/.

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pałace, wieże mieszkalne. Ocyna Wydawnicza PWr, 2003.

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sisches Urkundenbuch. Bd. 4: 1267–1281. Böhlau 1988.

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1366–1376. Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, 2004.

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1385–1395. Poznańskie Towarzystwo Przyjaciół Nauk, 2000.

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Flächeninhaltes, der mittlern Erhebung über die Meeresäche, der Be-

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betisch-statistisch-topographische Uebersicht aller Dörfer, Flecken,

Städte und andere Orte der Königl. Preuß. Provinz Schlesien: nebst

beigefügter Nachweisung von der Eintheilung des Landes nach den

Bezirken der drei Königlichen Regierungen, den darin enthaltenen

Fürstenthümern und Kreisen, mit Angabe des Flächeninhaltes, der

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des Viehstandes u.s.w. Breslau. Barth und Co., 1830.

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checkich w Wojcieszowie (pow. jeleniogórski). Wrocław, 2023. [Ma-

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ular and symmetrical. It is a two-storey building with a base-

ment and usable attic, covered with a mansard hipped roof.

Originally, the building was constructed on a rectangular

plan with stocky proportions and a small, pillar-shaped, rect-

angular entrance portico enclosing the axial main entrance.

In the 19

century, two side risalits were added to the garden

façade, connected by a central columned portico with an axi-

al entrance. Today, after the garden portico was walled up for

the second time, the building has an almost square footprint

(Sawińska, Sawiński 1996). Of the aforementioned 18

and 19

-century sources, only the 1845 village inventory

contains the notation “1 h. Schloß” [transl. one palace]. It is

dicult to identify the building as having been constructed

on the remains of an earlier structure. The ground oor plan

contained in the white sheet is probably a sketch rather than

an accurate inventory of the building’s dimensions, includ-

ing proportions and wall thickness. An in situ architectural

survey is severely limited by the building’s excellent state

of maintenance, with regular repairs and no loss of plaster.

Summary

Based on an analysis of source publications alone, it is

possible to identify the families that lived in Wojcieszów,

and date the area to the medieval period. This was a time

of great fragmentation of ownership, continuing through to

the 17

–18

centuries. It was also a period of nal trans-

formations, connected with the merging and disappearance

of individual estates, in the light of the town’s industrial

development. Further eld research on the palaces may

reveal information about earlier buildings and how palace

and manor spaces were formed. Based on the research and

analysis carried out, it can be concluded that two of the ve

existing palaces in Wojcieszów were probably built on the

remains of medieval buildings: Nieder and Mittel. Conclu-

sions as to the extent of the original foundations require

a full architectural survey, which would be very dicult

given the current state of the buildings. The buildings are in

good to very good condition; a non-invasive in situ survey

might not have yielded the expected results. A compara-

tive analysis of the Stöckel and Niemitz Palaces reveals

similar architectural features, suggesting that both estates

originated at the end of the 16

century. In contrast, due

to the regularity of its layout and the lack of irregularities

typically associated with structural expansion, it is dicult

to determine whether the Lest estate was built on an earlier

(medieval or early modern) foundation.

Translated by

Mateusz Walkowski

26 Aleksandra Walkowska

Streszczenie

Majątki ziemskie i siedziby szlacheckie w Wojcieszowie

Wojcieszów położony jest w południowo-zachodniej części Śląska, na obszarze Gór Kaczawskich w Sudetach Zachodnich. Historycznie znajdował

się w granicach księstwa świdnicko-jaworskiego. Wyróżnia się wielością obiektów rezydencjonalnych funkcjonujących na przestrzeni wieków, co było

następstwem znacznego rozdrobnienia własności ziemskiej, jak również pochodną wielkości wsi, tj. areału i potencjału gospodarczego.

Celem autorki artykułu była próba identykacji średniowiecznych i renesansowych siedzib szlacheckich na podstawie analizy źródeł pisanych,

kartograi historycznej, badań architektonicznych pałacu Stöckel i lustracji terenowej wybranych obiektów. Istotą rozważań jest wskazanie lokalizacji

historycznych folwarków i dworów, przedstawienie danych na temat nazewnictwa oraz informacji z opracowań dotyczących przemian własności ma-

jątków ziemskich w Wojcieszowie.

Wyniki przedstawionych analiz umożliwiają rozpoznanie rodów posiadających dobra na terenie Wojcieszowa oraz datowanie obecnego areału

miasta na okres średniowiecza, czasu największego rozdrobnienia własności na XVII–XVIII w. oraz końcowych przemian związanych z łączeniem

i zanikaniem poszczególnych majątków w świetle rozwoju przemysłowego miasta. Na podstawie zgromadzonych informacji możliwe jest datowanie

istniejących pałaców na czasy średniowiecza i renesansu.

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