In the years 1652-1681 the castle was transformed by the Jesuits into a monastery. Only a fragment of the walls found in the gate building has remained of the castle. Currently, the buildings located in the south-east part of the village are in a very bad shape and falling into disrepair. Nevertheless, the buildings have retained their stylistic features in the Renaissance and Baroque spirit.

History of the structure

The construction of the castle in the 15th century needs to be attributed to the Zabeltitz family - owners of Otyń. After seizing the castle from its owners, the king of Czechia, Ladislaus Jagiellon, sold the property in Otyń to brothers Hans and Nickel von Rechenberg in 1516. In 1519 the new owners transformed the Gothic castle into a Renaissance residence. A four-wing building with a spacious courtyard was erected. Under their will, the Otyń property was handed over to the Jesuit order in 1645. In the years 1652- 1681 the castle was transformed into a monastery. During the redevelopment, the majority of the castle walls were built anew and the chapel was extended. After the fire in 1702, the monastery was subject to alteration works in the years 1703-1705. At that time, three new wings and a Baroque chapel were erected and the entire complex was enclosed with a wall, under the supervision of an architect Stefano Spinetti. Prominent decorators and woodcarvers were involved in the designing of the décor and fixtures and fittings. They included: Giovani Simonetti, Johann Riedel and Johann Marschin. After the closure of the Jesuit order in Otyń in 1776, the Royal School Institute was established in the monastery buildings. In 1787 the Otyń estate was taken over by Peter von Biron, Duke of Courland and Żagań.  In 1879 a grandson of Peter von Biron, Alexander, sold the Otyń estate to Rudolf von Friedenthal. The features belonged to his family until the end of World War II. During the liberation of the village, the Russian soldiers plundered the interiors. The fire in 1954 caused damage to the south part of the wing and the chapel of the Otyń residence. Two years later the crown of the walls was reinforced and the chapel was secured through covering with a flat roof. Until the 1970s the feature was partially inhabited by workers of the State Agricultural Holding. Later it was abandoned and started falling into disrepair. In the 1990s former monastery buildings were sold to a private owner, but the state of preservation of the site has not improved.

Site description

The architectural complex comprising the castle and the monastery is located at 14 Mickiewicza Street, in the south-eastern part of the village. The area around the buildings is overgrown with trees and shrubs. The Otyń complex, preserved to this day, was built of stone and brick. A two-storey building, consisting of four wings, was set around a rectangular courtyard. A gatehouse, in which relics of the medieval castle have survived, protrudes at the front of the west wing. A chapel adjoins it on the south side. The chapel is an aisleless building with a chancel featuring a trilateral end section, covered with a barrel vault with lunettes. The façade is accentuated with pilasters with windows arranged on two levels. Architectural detailing in the form of cornices, window surrounds and pilasters with capitals has survived in the entire building, albeit in residual state. Currently, plenty of fragments of walls are missing and the existing walls have soaked with water. Door and window joinery has been removed. The buildings will eventually collapse, if renovation works are not carried out. The original fixtures and fittings have not survived.

Visitor access. Currently, the site is a private property. Due to the poor state of preservation the building is not open to visitors.

Author of the note: Krzysztof Słowiński, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 07-11-2017

Bibliography

• Andrzejewski T., Miejscowości powiatu nowosolskiego. Rys historyczny., Nowa Sól 2004, pp. 158-166;
• Garbacz K., Szlakiem zabytkowych miast. Przewodnik po południowej części województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2005, pp. 181-182;
• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. II, Zielona Góra 2012, p. 291;
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• Kowalski S., Zabytki województwa zielonogórskiego, Zielona Góra 1987, pp. 163-164;
• Peryt-Gierasimczuk I., Czas architekturą zapisany. Zabytki województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 1998, p. 167.