Ipflo: /* Duke of Brunswicks */
{{Short description|Sibyllenort is a former palace in Szczodre, Silesia, Poland}}
[[Image: Schloss Sibyllenort Sammlung Duncker.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort by [[Alexander Duncker]] around 1860]]
[[Image: Fotothek df hauptkatalog 0136940 Schloss Sibyllenort.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort around 1920-1935]]
'''Sibyllenort Palace''' ({{Lang-de|Schloss Sibyllenort}} or {{Lang-pl| Pałac Sybilli }} is a former palace in [[Szczodre]], 12 kilometres north-east of [[Wrocław]], [[Silesia]], [[Poland]]. It was first the seat of the [[Duchy of Oels|dukes of Oels]], and later the private property of the [[House of Wettin|royal Saxon family]]. Due to its [[Tudor Revival architecture |Tudor style]], it was known as the Silesian [[Windsor Castle|Windsor]]. It has been destroyed in the last days of the [[Second World War]], by soldiers of either the [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] or the [[Red Army]] (or both). Today, only individual remnants of buildings and the vast, largely overgrown park bear witness to the once grand and representative castle complex.
==History==
===House of Württemberg-Oels===
[[Image: Schloss Sibyllenort Jenderich 1692.jpg|thumb|300px|right| Sibyllenort in 1692]]
[[Image: Sibyllenort by Werner.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The ruins of Sibyllenort in 1765]]
The villages of Neudorf and Rastelwitz belonged to the Gaffron family since 1592, with Rastelwitz lying deserted since the Thirty Years' War. In 1685, Balthasar Wilhelm von Gaffron sold them to [[Christian Ulrich I, Duke of Württemberg-Oels]] (1652-1704). From 1685 to 1692, he constructed a summer residence there for his second wife, princess Sibylle Maria of Saxony-Merseburg (1667-1694), after whom he named both the town and the palace, ''Sibyllenort''. The palace consisted of 13 axles with a French garden and was surrounded by a moat.
Christian Ulrich's son, [[Charles Frederick II, Duke of Württemberg-Oels|Charles Fredrick II]] (1690-1761), gifted the palace to his wife, Sibylle Charlotte Juliane of Württemberg (1690-1735), in 1712, who initially leased the property. After the palace was deemed uninhabitable, Sibylle Charlotte renovated it in 1716 and used it as a summer residence until her death in 1735. It then passed to her sister, Hedwig Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst (1691-1752), before reverting back to the dukes of Württemberg-Oels.
[[List of Polish monarchs|Polish kings]] and [[List of rulers of Saxony|Saxon electors]] [[Augustus II the Strong]] (1670-1733) and [[Augustus III of Poland]] (1696-1763) visited Sibyllenort, when travelling between their capitals Dresden and Warsaw.
Charles Frederick II's successor and brother, [[Charles Christian Erdmann, Duke of Württemberg-Oels|Charles Christian]] (1716-1792), paid little attention to the palace. He was the last of his line. His daughter, Friederike Sophie Charlotte Auguste (1751 –1789), was married to prince [[Frederick Augustus, Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Oels|Frederick Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg]] (1740-1805), son of [[Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (1713-1780). This prince became the inheritor.
===Duke of Brunswicks===
[[Image: Sibyllenort from the Air.png|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort from the air in 1932]]
[[Image: Fotothek df hauptkatalog 0136941 Schloss Sibyllenort.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort around 1920-1935]]
[[Image: Bundesarchiv Bild 102-13153, Breslau, Schloss Sibyllenort.jpg|thumb|300px|right| Sibyllenort around 1920-1935]]
In 1792, the duchy of Oels was granted to prince Frederick Augustus. He significantly renovated and expanded Sibyllenort from 1792 to 1805. The main building was raised, the main facade received projecting bay windows, and two domed round towers were added on the courtyard side. Additionally, four outbuildings were constructed, including a theatre. The gardens were designed by Christian Weiss. Joseph von Eichendorff visited the palace in 1803 and praised the combination of luxury and taste.
When duke Frederick August died, the duchy and the Sibyllenort palace went to his nephew, [[Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Frederick William]] (1771-1815), who inherited the [[Duchy of Brunswick]] as well.
In 1829, Sibyllenort hosted the Russian tsar [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]] and his wife, [[Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia)|Charlotte of Prussia]].
Between 1851 and 1867, the last Duke of Oels, [[William, Duke of Brunswick]] (1806-1884), under the direction of architect Carl Wolf, rebuilt and significantly expanded the palace complex in the style of [[Windsor Castle]] in the British [[Tudor Revival architecture |Tudor style]], comprising 400 rooms. The length of the palace was 300 metres, of which the frontal façade was 100 metres long. East of the newly integrated corps de logis, a new economic wing was built, as well as a glazed orangery. Simultaneously, a 75-hectare English landscape park with several ponds and a wild game reserve of over 200 hectares were created. It was possible to visit the park and 60 representative rooms with a large collection of 5,000 prints and paintings, and Meissen porcelain, making the palace a popular tourist attraction. The theatre within the palace featured actors from Wrocław and a professional ballet from [[Brunswick]].
William made Sibyllenort his main residence and died there on 18 October 1884, unmarried and without legitimate heirs. He bequeathed Sibyllenort to his nephew, [[Albert, King of Saxony]] (1828-1902).
===Saxon royal family===
King Albert of Saxony used Sibyllenort as a summer residence. Under Albert, the theatre was converted into a chapel, the palace received water and sewage systems, and the large fountain in front of the main facade was installed. Also, there were other improvements like importing a marble altar from Venice and covering the dining room walls with embossed leather depicting ancient scenes.
After the abdication of the last Saxon king, [[Frederick Augustus III of Saxony| Frederick Augustus III]] (1865-1932), in 1918, the palace became his permanent residence. He died there in 1932. During this time, a unique collection of Meissen porcelain was assembled.
His heir, [[Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen|Frederick Christian of Saxony]] (1893-1968), could not afford to maintain the huge building, leading to a large part of the interior furnishings being auctioned off in 1935, with the remainder transferred to his newly built Wachwitz Palace in Dresden. The library went to the [[University of Wrocław|University of Breslau]]. A wing of the palace was converted into apartments, but no concept for its overall use was found.
===Second World War===
From 1939, the palace buildings were used as a [[Luftwaffe]] main depot. On 26 January 1945, as the [[Red Army]] approached, the central building of the palace was blown up, resulting in the entire building burning down. This was done either by retreating soldiers of the [[Wehrmacht]] or looting soldiers of the Red Army
===Communist Poland===
[[Image: SchlossSibyllenort1.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The ruins of Sibyllenort in 1945]]
In the People's Republic of Poland, the still usable parts of the buildings were used by the State Security Service, including as a recreational centre for officials. After extensive renovation from 1977 to 1980, the preserved part of the east wing became a training centre for employees of the Lower Silesia Voivodeship and the city of Wrocław.
Simultaneously, demolition of the ruins began in the 1950s, with interruptions until 1989. The stones were partly used for the reconstruction of Warsaw.
===Modern times===
In the contemporary period, the remnants of the palace complex, including the palace wing, outbuilding, park with a forest, and a walled fence with a gate, were listed as historic monuments in 1990. Since 1988, the palace wing has remained unused, while former State Agricultural Farm employees reside in the outbuilding. In 1992, the property was sold to a private company, and in 2001, it passed into private ownership. In 1999, the iron lion sculptures from the entrance gate went missing.
==What remains today?==
[[Image: 4575viki Szczodre - zespół pałacowy. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The remains of Sibyllenort in 2010]]
[[Image: SM Szczodre Pałac Sybilli (3) ID 599567.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The remains of Sibyllenort in 2014]]
Still existing structures in 2015 included:
* A fragment of the eastern wing – brick-built, two-story, in the style of English neo-Gothic, two-winged with two corner octagonal towers, three and four-axis with a roof hidden behind an attic with battlements;
* A fragment of the theatre building (currently a residential house) – brick-built, two-story, in the style of English neo-Gothic, built on a square plan, three-axis with a flat roof hidden behind an attic, with a projecting bay on the front facade with a stepped gable;
* The palace park – in the English style, covering an area of 9.75 hectares, with a horseshoe-shaped pond covering an area of 1 hectare, with a group of weeping willows;
* Landscape-botanical garden (currently a forest) – covering an area of 75 hectares, ponds covering an area of 10 hectares, within which there are monumental trees – ginkgo biloba and pedunculate oaks;
* South gate (formerly topped by iron lions) – brick-built, stone-faced, consisting of four pillars on a plinth crowned with an arcaded frieze with crenelations;
* West gate (formerly topped by iron lions) – brick-built, stone-faced, consisting of four pillars on a plinth crowned with visible heraldic shields;
* Park keeper's house (currently abandoned) – brick-built, single-story, in the shape of the letter T, with a gable roof covered with fish-scale tiles with wide eaves, some windows with triangular pediments framed with decorative lintels;
* Park keeper's house (currently abandoned) – brick-built, single-story, in the shape of the letter L, with a gable roof covered with tiles with wide eaves, some windows with triangular pediments, common decorative lintel; and
* Game reserve (currently forest) – covering an area of 200 hectares.
==References==
<references />
==Literature==
* {{Cite book |last1=Franke |first1=Arne |title=Kleine Kulturgeschichte der schlesischen Schlösser |year=2015 |publisher=Bergstadtverlag Wilhelm Gottlieb Korn |pages=285-287 |isbn=978-3870573362 |language=de }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Kretzschmann |first1=Iris |last2=Thieme |first2=André |title=»Macht euern Dreck alleene!«: Der letzte sächsische König, seine Schlösser und die Revolution 1918 |chapter=Besuche nach dem Untergang – Sibyllenort gestern und heute|year=2019 |publisher=Sandstein Verlag |location=Dresden |isbn=978-3954983964 |pages=194-222 |language=de }}
==External Links==
{{Commons|category: Palace in Szczodre|Sibyllenort/ Szczodre Palace}}
[[Category:Castles in Lower Silesian Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Former palaces in Poland]]
Okumaya devam et...
{{Short description|Sibyllenort is a former palace in Szczodre, Silesia, Poland}}
[[Image: Schloss Sibyllenort Sammlung Duncker.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort by [[Alexander Duncker]] around 1860]]
[[Image: Fotothek df hauptkatalog 0136940 Schloss Sibyllenort.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort around 1920-1935]]
'''Sibyllenort Palace''' ({{Lang-de|Schloss Sibyllenort}} or {{Lang-pl| Pałac Sybilli }} is a former palace in [[Szczodre]], 12 kilometres north-east of [[Wrocław]], [[Silesia]], [[Poland]]. It was first the seat of the [[Duchy of Oels|dukes of Oels]], and later the private property of the [[House of Wettin|royal Saxon family]]. Due to its [[Tudor Revival architecture |Tudor style]], it was known as the Silesian [[Windsor Castle|Windsor]]. It has been destroyed in the last days of the [[Second World War]], by soldiers of either the [[Schutzstaffel|SS]] or the [[Red Army]] (or both). Today, only individual remnants of buildings and the vast, largely overgrown park bear witness to the once grand and representative castle complex.
==History==
===House of Württemberg-Oels===
[[Image: Schloss Sibyllenort Jenderich 1692.jpg|thumb|300px|right| Sibyllenort in 1692]]
[[Image: Sibyllenort by Werner.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The ruins of Sibyllenort in 1765]]
The villages of Neudorf and Rastelwitz belonged to the Gaffron family since 1592, with Rastelwitz lying deserted since the Thirty Years' War. In 1685, Balthasar Wilhelm von Gaffron sold them to [[Christian Ulrich I, Duke of Württemberg-Oels]] (1652-1704). From 1685 to 1692, he constructed a summer residence there for his second wife, princess Sibylle Maria of Saxony-Merseburg (1667-1694), after whom he named both the town and the palace, ''Sibyllenort''. The palace consisted of 13 axles with a French garden and was surrounded by a moat.
Christian Ulrich's son, [[Charles Frederick II, Duke of Württemberg-Oels|Charles Fredrick II]] (1690-1761), gifted the palace to his wife, Sibylle Charlotte Juliane of Württemberg (1690-1735), in 1712, who initially leased the property. After the palace was deemed uninhabitable, Sibylle Charlotte renovated it in 1716 and used it as a summer residence until her death in 1735. It then passed to her sister, Hedwig Friederike of Anhalt-Zerbst (1691-1752), before reverting back to the dukes of Württemberg-Oels.
[[List of Polish monarchs|Polish kings]] and [[List of rulers of Saxony|Saxon electors]] [[Augustus II the Strong]] (1670-1733) and [[Augustus III of Poland]] (1696-1763) visited Sibyllenort, when travelling between their capitals Dresden and Warsaw.
Charles Frederick II's successor and brother, [[Charles Christian Erdmann, Duke of Württemberg-Oels|Charles Christian]] (1716-1792), paid little attention to the palace. He was the last of his line. His daughter, Friederike Sophie Charlotte Auguste (1751 –1789), was married to prince [[Frederick Augustus, Prince of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Oels|Frederick Augustus of Brunswick-Lüneburg]] (1740-1805), son of [[Charles I, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (1713-1780). This prince became the inheritor.
===Duke of Brunswicks===
[[Image: Sibyllenort from the Air.png|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort from the air in 1932]]
[[Image: Fotothek df hauptkatalog 0136941 Schloss Sibyllenort.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Sibyllenort around 1920-1935]]
[[Image: Bundesarchiv Bild 102-13153, Breslau, Schloss Sibyllenort.jpg|thumb|300px|right| Sibyllenort around 1920-1935]]
In 1792, the duchy of Oels was granted to prince Frederick Augustus. He significantly renovated and expanded Sibyllenort from 1792 to 1805. The main building was raised, the main facade received projecting bay windows, and two domed round towers were added on the courtyard side. Additionally, four outbuildings were constructed, including a theatre. The gardens were designed by Christian Weiss. Joseph von Eichendorff visited the palace in 1803 and praised the combination of luxury and taste.
When duke Frederick August died, the duchy and the Sibyllenort palace went to his nephew, [[Frederick William, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel|Frederick William]] (1771-1815), who inherited the [[Duchy of Brunswick]] as well.
In 1829, Sibyllenort hosted the Russian tsar [[Nicholas I of Russia|Nicholas I]] and his wife, [[Alexandra Feodorovna (Charlotte of Prussia)|Charlotte of Prussia]].
Between 1851 and 1867, the last Duke of Oels, [[William, Duke of Brunswick]] (1806-1884), under the direction of architect Carl Wolf, rebuilt and significantly expanded the palace complex in the style of [[Windsor Castle]] in the British [[Tudor Revival architecture |Tudor style]], comprising 400 rooms. The length of the palace was 300 metres, of which the frontal façade was 100 metres long. East of the newly integrated corps de logis, a new economic wing was built, as well as a glazed orangery. Simultaneously, a 75-hectare English landscape park with several ponds and a wild game reserve of over 200 hectares were created. It was possible to visit the park and 60 representative rooms with a large collection of 5,000 prints and paintings, and Meissen porcelain, making the palace a popular tourist attraction. The theatre within the palace featured actors from Wrocław and a professional ballet from [[Brunswick]].
William made Sibyllenort his main residence and died there on 18 October 1884, unmarried and without legitimate heirs. He bequeathed Sibyllenort to his nephew, [[Albert, King of Saxony]] (1828-1902).
===Saxon royal family===
King Albert of Saxony used Sibyllenort as a summer residence. Under Albert, the theatre was converted into a chapel, the palace received water and sewage systems, and the large fountain in front of the main facade was installed. Also, there were other improvements like importing a marble altar from Venice and covering the dining room walls with embossed leather depicting ancient scenes.
After the abdication of the last Saxon king, [[Frederick Augustus III of Saxony| Frederick Augustus III]] (1865-1932), in 1918, the palace became his permanent residence. He died there in 1932. During this time, a unique collection of Meissen porcelain was assembled.
His heir, [[Friedrich Christian, Margrave of Meissen|Frederick Christian of Saxony]] (1893-1968), could not afford to maintain the huge building, leading to a large part of the interior furnishings being auctioned off in 1935, with the remainder transferred to his newly built Wachwitz Palace in Dresden. The library went to the [[University of Wrocław|University of Breslau]]. A wing of the palace was converted into apartments, but no concept for its overall use was found.
===Second World War===
From 1939, the palace buildings were used as a [[Luftwaffe]] main depot. On 26 January 1945, as the [[Red Army]] approached, the central building of the palace was blown up, resulting in the entire building burning down. This was done either by retreating soldiers of the [[Wehrmacht]] or looting soldiers of the Red Army
===Communist Poland===
[[Image: SchlossSibyllenort1.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The ruins of Sibyllenort in 1945]]
In the People's Republic of Poland, the still usable parts of the buildings were used by the State Security Service, including as a recreational centre for officials. After extensive renovation from 1977 to 1980, the preserved part of the east wing became a training centre for employees of the Lower Silesia Voivodeship and the city of Wrocław.
Simultaneously, demolition of the ruins began in the 1950s, with interruptions until 1989. The stones were partly used for the reconstruction of Warsaw.
===Modern times===
In the contemporary period, the remnants of the palace complex, including the palace wing, outbuilding, park with a forest, and a walled fence with a gate, were listed as historic monuments in 1990. Since 1988, the palace wing has remained unused, while former State Agricultural Farm employees reside in the outbuilding. In 1992, the property was sold to a private company, and in 2001, it passed into private ownership. In 1999, the iron lion sculptures from the entrance gate went missing.
==What remains today?==
[[Image: 4575viki Szczodre - zespół pałacowy. Foto Barbara Maliszewska.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The remains of Sibyllenort in 2010]]
[[Image: SM Szczodre Pałac Sybilli (3) ID 599567.jpg|thumb|300px|right|The remains of Sibyllenort in 2014]]
Still existing structures in 2015 included:
* A fragment of the eastern wing – brick-built, two-story, in the style of English neo-Gothic, two-winged with two corner octagonal towers, three and four-axis with a roof hidden behind an attic with battlements;
* A fragment of the theatre building (currently a residential house) – brick-built, two-story, in the style of English neo-Gothic, built on a square plan, three-axis with a flat roof hidden behind an attic, with a projecting bay on the front facade with a stepped gable;
* The palace park – in the English style, covering an area of 9.75 hectares, with a horseshoe-shaped pond covering an area of 1 hectare, with a group of weeping willows;
* Landscape-botanical garden (currently a forest) – covering an area of 75 hectares, ponds covering an area of 10 hectares, within which there are monumental trees – ginkgo biloba and pedunculate oaks;
* South gate (formerly topped by iron lions) – brick-built, stone-faced, consisting of four pillars on a plinth crowned with an arcaded frieze with crenelations;
* West gate (formerly topped by iron lions) – brick-built, stone-faced, consisting of four pillars on a plinth crowned with visible heraldic shields;
* Park keeper's house (currently abandoned) – brick-built, single-story, in the shape of the letter T, with a gable roof covered with fish-scale tiles with wide eaves, some windows with triangular pediments framed with decorative lintels;
* Park keeper's house (currently abandoned) – brick-built, single-story, in the shape of the letter L, with a gable roof covered with tiles with wide eaves, some windows with triangular pediments, common decorative lintel; and
* Game reserve (currently forest) – covering an area of 200 hectares.
==References==
<references />
==Literature==
* {{Cite book |last1=Franke |first1=Arne |title=Kleine Kulturgeschichte der schlesischen Schlösser |year=2015 |publisher=Bergstadtverlag Wilhelm Gottlieb Korn |pages=285-287 |isbn=978-3870573362 |language=de }}
* {{Cite book |last1=Kretzschmann |first1=Iris |last2=Thieme |first2=André |title=»Macht euern Dreck alleene!«: Der letzte sächsische König, seine Schlösser und die Revolution 1918 |chapter=Besuche nach dem Untergang – Sibyllenort gestern und heute|year=2019 |publisher=Sandstein Verlag |location=Dresden |isbn=978-3954983964 |pages=194-222 |language=de }}
==External Links==
{{Commons|category: Palace in Szczodre|Sibyllenort/ Szczodre Palace}}
[[Category:Castles in Lower Silesian Voivodeship]]
[[Category:Former palaces in Poland]]
Okumaya devam et...