History of the site

The first references to the Bolesław manor house come from the 1570 inspection of the roads of the Kraków province. The owners of the estate were the Chełmskis. In the mid-17th century, they built a magnificent manor house on a hill in Bolesław. It came to be known as the “Bolesław House” or “Palace.” According to tradition, the present-day manor house, standing near the palace hill, is a former palace outbuilding (granary) converted to accommodate the owners’ residence (Mycielski) in the mid-19th century, i.e. when the palace began to fall into disrepair. In 1867 the Bolesławiec estate was purchased by the industrialist Gustaw von Kramsta, whom the Mycielskis had authorised to extract calamine deposits (zinc ore) in the area. Mine managers probably resided in the manor house at that time. 1879 saw the establishment of the Gwarectwo von Kramsta mining company, and in 1891 the Bolesławiec estate together with the mines became the property of the Towarzystwo Sosnowieckich Kopalń i Zakładów Hutniczych enterprise. The manor house was again used as lodgings for mine directors. From 1942 the house was occupied by German mine managers. After WW2, the manor house and the park were taken over by the state and were managed by the state company, Kopalnia Galmanu, later renamed as Kombinat Górniczo-Hutniczy Bolesław. Again, the manor house was occupied by successive mine directors. In the years 1962-1969, the house serves as a delivery ward, in the years 1976-1977 as a militia station, next a branch of the Bukowno-based Municipal and Communal Culture Centre. The frequent changes of owners and functions meant that the house was rebuilt numerous times: probably at the end of the 19th century but also in the 1920s when a side wing was added.  During WW2, wooden porches were added to the side wing. In the 1950s, the portico was dismantled and replaced with a new one supported on concrete columns. During renovations, the wooden ceilings were partially replaced with ceramic masonry slabs, and the shingle roofing was replaced with felt (in 1980 changed for eternit). Over time, the manor house faced the threat of falling into complete ruin. Due to its poor technical condition, the culture centre moved out in 1989. In 2003 the long-awaited regeneration began and lasted through 2008. After its completion, the culture centre returned to the Bolesław house, and in 2010, a café and small hotel opened.

Site description

The manor house is in the centre of Bolesław in an almost four-hectare park. It is composed of two blocks touching each other at right angles. The older part, i.e. the former proper house on the east-west axis, was built of quarry stone and brick on a rectangular plan. The house is a one-storey structure with partial basement. It has a hipped roof, with an attic window on the south side. The interior layout is two-bay and asymmetrical, with a living room in the east corner occupying the size of both bays. The main entrance is on the axis of the north façade. Covered by a gable roof, it is articulated by a six-column portico. The side entrance from the east leads through the terrace and porch. Access doors to the cellar are nearby. The newer part (1920s) was built of brick. Set on a rectangular plan, it has a small wooden porch on the east side.

The site is open to visitors.

Author of the note Tomasz Woźniak, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Kraków 05/11/2015

Bibliography

• Krasnowolski B., Leksykon zabytków architektury Małopolski, Warszawa 2013
• Libicki P., Dwory i pałace wiejskie w Małopolsce i na Podkarpaciu, Poznań 2012
• Liszka J., Wokół bolesławskiego dworku, “Bolesławskie Zeszyty Historyczne”  2002, no. 15,
• Raińska M., Dwory Małopolski, historia i współczesność, vol. 1, Nowy Sącz 2014.
• Sypień J., Dwory szlacheckie ziemi olkuskiej, Olkusz 2013