History of the site

The palace was erected in place of an earlier castle, first mentioned in 1468. In the second half of the 16th century the castle was redesigned according to the principles of the Renaissance style by Hans Rechenberg. In 1655 or 1667 the estate was taken over by the Barwitz family, barons de Fernemont. After a massive fire that destroyed the town in 1721 the residence was rebuilt in the years 1732-1735. Most probably, the composed green area was created together with the construction of the Baroque palace. We know what is silhouette looked like owing to a drawing authored by F.B. Wernher from around mid- 18th century. A decorative garden designed on a square floor plan, with four quarters and a fountain in the middle, stretched along the west façade of the palace. Edges of quarters were planted with boxwood and the entire park with a double, tall line of pruned trees. A usable garden - a vegetable garden with an orchard - was located on its south side. The interior of the courtyard at the east façade of the residence was overgrown with regular lines of trees, most probably the fruit ones. The entire park was fenced off with a wall featuring gates on the side of the lake, decorated with tall pillars crowned with sculptures. Around the mid- 18th century an orangery, nonexistent today, was established in the courtyard. Most probably the vegetable gardens were located next to it. After 1854 the Baroque garden was transformed into a Romantic complex and expanded to the south-west. Carl Eduard Petzold, a prominent German garden arranger, was an author of the new composition. The decorative garden was replaced with a pleasure ground - a large plain of grass decorated with groups of trees, passing into a zone of far-reaching landscape with a lake in the distant background. The composition of the new park was based on a free layout of routes, flowerbeds and multiplicity of water elements. The pivotal element was a centrally located pond with an inaccessible islet found in the middle. The park was equipped with garden structures that have not survived to our times. From 1886 the estate belonged to counts von Haugwitz. In the interwar period the current northern part of the park was incorporated in the composition of the complex. During World War II, the estate was confiscated by the Reich Main Security Office. In the years 1957-1969 full-scale renovation works were carried out and the palace was adapted to serve as an orphanage. Currently, the feature and the surrounding park are private property and remain unused. The remaining part of the park has a municipal park status.

Description of the structure

The park, with a total area of approx. 45 ha, stretches along the west shore of the Sławskie Lake. It consists of an area between the palace and the lakeshore, an original regular decorative garden with an area of approx. 3 ha, the 19th-century landscape park covering the area of approx. 30 ha along the south-east lake shore and the municipal part of the complex, incorporated last and occupying the northern part of the complex. The tree stands of the park are composed mainly of native species such as: robinia pseudoacacia, broad-leaved lime, black alder and common maple. Among them, single specimens of London plane, black pine, northern white cedar, Douglas fir and white chestnut stand out. A layout of main park routes and traces of smaller paths have survived. The water system has also remained clear. The clearings and meadows have been completely overgrown and the viewing corridors have blurred. Garden structures have not survived.

The park, with a total area of approx. 45 ha, stretches along the west shore of the Sławskie Lake. It consists of an area between the palace and the lakeshore, an original regular decorative garden with an area of approx. 3 ha, the 19th-century landscape park covering the area of approx. 30 ha along the south-east lake shore and the municipal part of the complex, incorporated last and occupying the northern part of the complex. The tree stands of the park are composed mainly of native species such as: robinia pseudoacacia, broad-leaved lime, black alder and common maple. Among them, single specimens of London plane, black pine, northern white cedar, Douglas fir and white chestnut stand out. A layout of main park routes and traces of smaller paths have survived. The water system has also remained clear. The clearings and meadows have been completely overgrown and the viewing corridors have blurred. Garden structures have not survived.

Visitor access. Heritage site accessible to the general public.

Author of the note: compiled by Marta Kłaczkowska, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 07-12-2017

Bibliography

• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. 2, Zielona Góra 2012, pp. 338-339;
• Kochańska A., Rewaloryzacja Parku Miejskiego w Sławie – możliwość odtworzenia zabytkowego układu kompozycyjnego parku Carla Eduarda Petzolda, [in:] “Przegląd Budowlany”, 2013, no. 3, pp. 61-64;
• Kowalski S., Zabytki architektury województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2010, p. 337;
• Sława. Zarys dziejów, Strzyżewski W. (ed.), Sława 2004, pp. 254-256, 266-269;
• Zabytkowe parki województwa lubuskiego, Bielinis-Kopeć B. (ed.), Zielona Góra 2013, pp. 374-376;
• Zamki, dwory i pałace województwa lubuskiego, Bielinis-Kopeć B. (ed.), Zielona Góra 2007, pp. 273-276.