An example of quality residential architecture in Lower Silesia, bearing the hallmarks of the Historicist style. The defining features of the building are its picturesque appearance and location, with a commanding view of the Karkonosze mountain range.

History

The building was erected in the years 1872-73 at the request of the merchant Richard von Kramst, with the task of designing the mansion being entrusted to Kurt Spaete, an architect from Dresden. The house remained in the hands of the Kramst family until 1894, after which it was acquired by Oskar Caro, a commercial counsellor, along with the park established back in the years 1855-60. In 1906, the building’s new owner commissioned the redesign and modernisation of the palace, based on a design produced by Karl Grosser. Both the southern façade, the connecting section linking the main body of the building with the eastern tower and the building’s interiors have been substantially remodelled. The park was also extended towards the west. In 1933, the heirs to the owners of the palace sold the building to the German Work Front organisation (DAF), after which it was converted into a Hitlerjugend training facility. In September 1945, the palace served as a Museum Deposit of the Ministry of Culture and Art and, as such, became the largest storage facility for various works of art which were being recovered in the Lower Silesia region at the time. The building was also used as a recreation centre for art historians, archaeologists and museum curators. In 1952, the palace was taken over by the military and converted into an officers’ casino. In the early 1960s a fire destroyed the mansard roof, parts of the staircase and the attic ceilings. In the course of reconstruction, the building was extended upwards, with the additional storey being covered with a flat roof. In the mid-1990s, the palace and the nearby barracks were taken over by the Military Property Agency which in turn sold it to a company named Paulinum in 2002. The building has been restored and is now used as a hotel.

Description

The building is situated south-east of the city centre, below the summit of the Castle Hill, on an artificial platform projecting from its eastern slope. The appearance of this Historicist palace is influenced predominantly by the Renaissance and Baroque Revival styles, accompanied by Art Nouveau detailing which was added during the alteration works performed in the early 20th century. The building, designed on an irregular plan and positioned on a stone plinth, consists of two- and three-storey sections, with cylindrical towers in the northern and eastern corners; a third, significantly lower tower designed on a rectangular floor plan is located in the south-western part of the structure. The building, consisting of several distinct sections, features an ensemble of hip and flat roofs, some of them hidden behind decorative roof parapet in the form of balustrades. The towers are crowned with cupolas designed in the Renaissance and Baroque Revival styles. The eastern tower features a simple hip roof with a short roof ridge. A spacious terrace with a retaining wall adjoins the north-eastern side of the palace. The façades are covered with plaster. The uppermost storey is separated from the rest by a narrow string course. The main entrance is located in the north-western part of the building, preceded by a recessed portico with a pair of rectangular pillars as well as by a flight of steps. A semi-circular colonnaded portico with a terrace on top projects from the south-western side of the structure, preceding the side entrance into the building. The windows come in various shapes and sizes and are either rectangular, roughly square-shaped or topped with segmental arches. They are arranged in an irregular pattern and framed with profiled surrounds; some of them also feature decorative grillwork. A triple window graces the uppermost storey of the south-western tower. Some of the windows feature original stained glass. Elements of the original décor have survived in most of the palace interiors.

The building currently serves as a hotel. The building can be viewed from the outside. Exploring the interiors is possible by prior arrangement. Some of the rooms inside the building are closed to visitors. The building is surrounded by a public park.

compiled by Piotr Roczek, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Wrocław, 05-05-2015.

Bibliography

• Słownik Geografii Turystycznej Sudetów. Vol. 4 Kotlina Jeleniogórska, M. Staffa (ed.), Wrocław 1999, pp. 351-352.
• Wojciech Kapałczyński, Piotr Napierała, Zamki, pałace i dwory Kotliny Jeleniogórskiej, Jelenia Góra-Wrocław 2005, pp. 28-33.
• Zabytki sztuki w Polsce. Śląsk, Warsaw 2006, p. 357.
• Zamki i dwory obronne w Sudetach, Vol. II Księstwo jaworskie, Wrocław 2009, p. 334.