Pałac Von Münchhausen
Pałac Von Münchhausen is an abandoned castle in western Poland. The former estate of the Jesuits, and later the residence of Prussian noble families, survived the historical turmoil in relatively good condition. Today it is abandoned and waits for someone to give it a new life.
The castle dates back to a farm that belonged to the Glaubitz noble family in the first half of the 14th century. It is built in a small village along the old trade route leading from the Czech Republic to Silesia. Later an Augustinian monastery was built here, but it was destroyed in 1622. During the year 1624, the Jesuits founded a manor here. The current complex was built using the walls of this old manor house.
Von Münchhausen
In 1773, the Jesuit order was dissolved, leading to the estate’s acquisition by the state. Subsequently, Count Friedrich Wilhelm von Reden purchased the palace, which later passed to the Von Münchhausen family. The Von Münchhausen family conducted extensive renovations to the castle between 1840–1844 and once more in 1872. The estate remained under the ownership of the Von Münchhausen family until 1945.
Second World War
In the years 1944–1945, the castle housed the headquarters of the nearby Luftwaffe airfield. The Red Army occupied the residence after the war was over. A few years later, the building housed offices and apartments for employees of the nearby State Agricultural Farm. In the following years, the facility also served as a recreation center for children and teenagers.
The castle was surrounded by a park with ponds, and the estate included among other things a sawmill, a water mill, a brewery, a distillery, an oil mill and a sugar refinery. There is also a mausoleum of the Münchhausen family opposite the palace.
Currently, the palace is in private hands. Unfortunately, the owner shows no interest in the monument, and the building is gradually falling into ruin. I visited the castle in 2020. The abandoned castle evoked a sense of mystery and nostalgia, standing as silent witnes to centuries of human history.
