History of the structure

The palace and park complex in Osowa Sień Górna was most probably shaped after 1739, when the village was divided into upper, middle and lower parts and handed over to three sons of Andrzej Żychliński. The upper part went to Andrzej Żychliński (1706-1755) married to Julianna Geiler. Their younger daughter, Charlotta Constantina married Karl Ladislaus von Unruh. They had only one daughter, who in 1779 became a wife of Johann Balthasar von Schlichting. Following his death in 1809, the estate became property of their youngest son, Wilhelm Ferdinand. He, in turn, assigned the estate to his daughter Emilia Teodora Franciszka, from 1839 von Heydebrand (died 1895). Already before her death, her daughter Anna Julia Teresa, wife of Count Eugen Friedrich Heinrich von Seherr-Tross, became an owner of the land. It was the count, who came up with the concept of the existing palace (a single-storey building covered with a half-hip roof) that replaced the previous manor house from the 18th century. The construction of the palace had probably been completed before count von Seherr-Tross’ death in 1904. In 1919 the widow leased the estate to her grandson, Lothar von Brandenstein, who continued to live in the palace until 1945. His daughter, Leonia Ossowski (born Jolanthe von Brandenstein), is a German writer who received an honorary “Badge of Merit for the Polish Culture” and an author of several novels about Osowa Sień. After World War II the palace became a seat of the directorate of the State Centre for Pedigree Breeding, later to be adapted to serve as a kindergarten. Since 2007 is has remained in private hands and functions as a hotel.

Site description

Along with the park complex, the palace is located in the central part of the village, on the west side of the main road. The residence is situated at a distance from the road, surrounded with a park on the south side and, to a lesser degree, on the north side. The park area amounts to approx. 3 ha. The park is partially fenced by a wall. The palace was designed in the eclectic style, modelled on the tradition of a German castle and drawing inspiration from Gothic and Renaissance forms, while the park is of a landscape type, kept in the spirit of Romanticism. The palace is a building made of brick, designed on a quadrilateral floor plan, with annexes on the west and east sides. Its main body is fragmented by various types of annexes, projections, bay windows, wall dormers and is covered with different types of roofs. The silhouette is dominated by a five-storey tower with a soaring cupola. Its upper storey was erected in a post-and-beam structure, accentuated by slender turrets on corners. The façades are plastered, accentuated by architectural details in the form of cornices, window casings and pilasters. A two-bay arrangement of the interiors has survived with a centrally located main hall with original architectural details that include pilasters with decorative capitals and stucco ornaments with arabesque and putto motifs. Half-turn stairs with a wooden baluster, a Baroque Revival fireplace and ceramic floor tiles arranged in geometric patterns in the former kitchen have also survived. A historic park has retained its free arrangement, but the road network has been partially erased. The park includes numerous old trees, among others, London planetree, small-leaved lime, varieties of oak, common beech, Douglas fir, European ash, gingko biloba and Japanese magnolia. The age of the oldest trees can be determined at approx. 250 years. Coniferous trees are scarce and mainly include European yew, juniper, silver spruce and larch. The park is rich in undergrowth. An ice house has been preserved at the fence on the west side. The middle part of the park contains remnants of a stone-and-brick building, while the south section - a pond. An area of composed greenery stretches to the north of the residence, in the former manor farm yard, where noble plants such as decorative prune, a group of three catalpas and oak trees can be found.

Visitor access. The site is accessible to the general public. It can be visited upon prior telephone arrangement.

Author of the note: compiled by Marta Kłaczkowska, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 17-11-2017

Bibliography

• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. 2, Zielona Góra 2012, pp. 319-320;
• Kowalski S., Zabytki architektury województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2010, p. 275;
• Zabytkowe parki województwa lubuskiego, Bielinis-Kopeć B. (ed.), Zielona Góra 2013, pp. 318-320;
• Zamki, dwory i pałace województwa lubuskiego, Bielinis-Kopeć B. (ed.), Zielona Góra 2007, pp. 222-224.