History of the structure

The village of Ojerzyce was first mentioned in historical records in 1415 as property of Johann von Walderode. Later in the 15th century it was owned by the von Schlichtling and von Stentzch families. In the second half of the 17th century the property was taken over by the von Knobelsdorff family, followed by the Kalckreuth family, who in turn, already in the first half of the 18th century sold it to the von Briesen family. The Baroque manor house and park were built in the late 17th century or in the early 18th century. In the 19th century, for several dozen years, Ojerzyce belonged to persons who did not stem from the nobility. Only in 1879, after the marriage of the owner, Maria Schneider, with Eugen von Schmeling, did it return to the nobility. In 1885, at the owners’ initiative, the manor house was extended by one wing and obtained the form of a Renaissance Revival residence. Probably also at that time the landscape park was expanded by incorporating areas located in the north-west. In 1907 the heiress to the estate, Dorota Maria von Schmeling, got married to count Friedrich Carl von Hahn and the property remained in the hands of that family until 1945. After World War II the estate was nationalised. The former residence housed offices of the State Agricultural Holding and other institutions. In 1989 the park and the pond were partially cleaned up, while in 1993 a full-scale renovation of the palace began, with an intention to adapt it to serve as a guesthouse. Currently, it is a private property.

Site description

The complex is located on the east edge of Ojerzyce, on the north side of the local road to Szczaniec and Kupienin, in the area of approx. 10 ha. The main element of the complex is a centrally located palace in the Renaissance Revival style. An entrance gate is located on its axis, opposite of a church erected in 1910 on the other side of the road in place of an earlier temple. The manor farm buildings occupy the southern part of the area. The largest buildings, made of bricks and not plastered (a stable, a cowshed, a pigsty, warehouses and an outbuilding), are situated by the road. To the back, there is another warehouse, the other outbuilding and a dovecote. The main part of the park located to the north of the palace has been arranged in a free way. A small, horseshoe-shaped pond is situated on the axis of the residence. Deciduous species of trees dominate in the tree growth: common maple, sycamore, black alder, common hornbeam, white willow and pedunculate oak. The age of several trees has been determined at approx. 250 years.

The palace is a masonry building, designed on a rectangular floor plan, has two bays and features a basement underneath its structure. A partition of the main block into the older, single-storey part and the east wing, taller by one storey, from the 19th century, is visible. Tall gable roofs with dormers rise above both component parts. The palace features two-level usable attics. The façades are adorned with lavish architectural detailing (among others, pronounced cornices, window surrounds and rustication). The main entrance, preceded by simple stairs, is framed by pilasters supporting a classic triangular tympanum. Additionally, the façade axis was highlighted by a tall, slender gable.   

Visitor access. Limited access to the historic building. Private property – the building can only be viewed from the outside.

Author of the note: compiled by Anna Jackiewicz, Regional Branch of the National Institute of Cultural Heritage in Zielona Góra, 03-11-2017

Bibliography

• Bielinis-Kopeć B. (ed.), Zabytki województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2013, pp. 306-308.
• Bielinis-Kopeć B. (ed.), Zamki, dwory i pałace województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2008, pp. 283-284.
• Garbacz K., Przewodnik po zabytkach województwa lubuskiego, vol. 1, Zielona Góra 2011, pp. 183-185.
• Kowalski S., Zabytki architektury województwa lubuskiego, Zielona Góra 2010, p. 266.