History

The manor hour was built at the request of Johann Heinrich Neumann, merchant from Berlin and owner of a palace in the nearby village of Krzymów. The property in Krzymów was the former fief of the noble von Sydow family. In 1816, it was purchased by a merchant from Berlin, who modernised and extended the utility facilities within the estate and embellished the palace in Krzymów.

The new owner commissioned the construction of a Neoclassical manor house in a forest called “Hanseberger Jadgschloss” (Forester’s House in Krzymów) on maps from the late 19th century. The interior of the small building has a stylish décor and fittings. The walls of the drawing room and its faux vault were covered with wallpapers with illusionist architecture imitating Corinthian columns carrying the entablature and vaulting with coffers. The niches above the fireplaces featured gypsum copies of ancient sculptures of muses. The rooms were fitted with mahogany Biedermeier furniture, crystal chandeliers and stylish ceramics. The main component of the background landscape was a small park with forest character. Johann Heinrich Neumann was ennobled in 1840. The property in Krzymów belonged to the von Neumann family until 1945.

After 1945, the manor house with the surrounding park was administered by the Chojna Forest District. The manor house was inhabited by employees of the Forest District. In 1992, the manor house with the immediate surroundings separated from the area of the park was sold to private owners. In the next years, the new owners carried out renovations of the building and fitted the interior with antique furnishings and equipment.

Description

Kuropatniki, forest settlement, is located around 1 km to the west of the village of Krzymów; the buildings are situated on both sides of the local road from Krzymów to Piasek. The Neoclassical manor house is located on the north side of the road, in a clearing surrounded by a forest park; its southern gable-end façade faces the road. The manor was erected on a rectangular floor plan and features a pronounced porch accentuating the eastern front façade. The building is made of brick and has one storeys, a basement underneath some of its sections, and a usable attic. It is covered with gable roof clad with sheet metal. The façades are symmetrical and decorated with carefully crafted Neoclassical detail. The face of the façades features a separate plinth, is clad with flat rustication,and topped with a profiled cornice, except for the northern gable-end façade that is topped with a flat one. The corners of the building are framed by Tuscan pilasters topped with acroterions placed on plinths. Window and door openings are framed by profiled surrounds with lintels topped with simple cornices. The front façade is strictly symmetrical, seven-axial, with the main entrance located in the centre. Three central axes are preceded by a portico (porch) with four Tuscan columns supporting a tympanum. The gable-end façade overlooking the road (south façade) was designed with the same symmetry and care as the front façade of the manor. A wide stepped rectangular niche with an entrance, on the sides of the window, was marked along the axis of the façade. The gable features three windows with semicircular arches, with semi-circular windows on the sides. The top section of the gable was pierced by an oculus providing additional illumination for the loft. The sides of the gable are adorned with steps; the gable is topped with a pedestal with a palmette. The northern side façade has three axes and an entrance along the outermost western axis and two rectangular blind windows. The gable is designed in a manner similar to that of the south façade, with the difference that its lower section features two pairs of windows with semicircular arches. The western back façade has seven axes and an entrance on the third axis from the north.

The interior features a two-bay layout; the front suite of rooms includes three rooms arranged in an enfilade. The main entrance leads to the drawing room connected with side rooms. The original furnishings preserved from the drawing room include a faux vault and two fireplaces with hearths topped with a round arch with extensions featuring niches with conch vaulting. The room to the north of the drawing room was used as a dining room. The southern room is connected to a corridor leading to a separate bathroom and the eastern corner room now used as a library. The western bay includes one room, kitchen and stairs to the attic. The attic was adapted for use as guest rooms.

Private property.

compiled by Anna Walkiewicz, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Szczecin, 10-10-2014.

Bibliography

• Słomiński M., Dworek Myśliwski. Kuropatniki, karta ewidencyjna zabytków architektur, 1999 r., w archiwum Wojewódzkiego Urzędu Ochrony Zabytków w Szczecinie.
• Kalita-Skwirzyńska K., Opęchowski M., Hanseberg/Krzymów, seria: Zamki i Ogrody Nowej Marchii, zeszyt 5, Berlin 2009