At that time, the Prussian army of Frederick II won the battle with the allied troops of Austria and Saxony, in the ranks of which the Polish cavalry (uhlans) fought. 

History

The history of the site is linked to the Second Silesian War (1744-1745) between Austria and Prussia, both of which wanted to exercise control over the Silesian territories. On 4 June 1745, the Prussian armies waged a victorious battle in the fields between Dobromierz and Strzegom. The observation tower, consecrated in 1852, was erected to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this battle. The tower was erected on the site of the former gallows (hence the old name of the mountain – Galgenberg, or Gallows Hill). In years 1877-1879, the tower was extended upwards and thoroughly redesigned under the supervision of Carl Johann Lüdecke, who reimagined the structure in the Gothic Revival style; it is in this altered form that the tower has survived till present times.

Description

The observation tower was built using locally quarried granite and brick. The tower’s main part is an octagonal shaft with an observation deck on top, accessible by means of winding cast iron stairs. The low ground floor of the tower is an octagonal walkway below the observation deck. The corners of both the tower and the arcaded ground floor section are supported by buttresses. Lüdecke used here the pointed arches and stained glass windows, which is an evident nod to ecclesiastical architecture. The terraces above the arcaded walkway and on top of the tower itself are surrounded by crenellated wall.

Originally, a tavern and a shooting range were both available in the tower’s immediate vicinity, while the surrounding greenery and alleys were all carefully planned out by landscape designers. After 1945, however, all these amenities have fallen into disuse, so that very little traces of them can be seen today.

The structure can be viewed from the outside. The interior of the tower is inaccessible and currently houses a mobile telephone network transmitter.

Complied by Krzysztof Czartoryski, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Wrocław, 6 November 2014.

Bibliography

• Dobesz J., Śląskie pomniki patriotyczne Karola Lüdecke (Silesian patriotic monuments of Karol Lüdecke) [in:] Brendel J. (ed.), Materiały do studiów nad sztuką XIX wieku (Materials for the study of 19th century art), vol. 1: Pomniki w XIX wieku (Monuments in 19th century), Poznań 1993, pp. 107-114.
• Słownik geografii turystycznej Sudetów (Dictionary of Tourist Geography of the Sudeten Mountains), vol. 10, Wrocław 2005.