The significant historical and research value of the surviving elements of its structure and décor as well as its original interior layout and surroundings all justify the need to afford this complex continuing protection.

History

The very first references to the village of Niemieczkowo date back to 1361, when it was mentioned as the property of Jarota Niemieczkowski of the Przosna coat of arms. In the 3rd quarter of the 16th century, (1580, to be exact), the owners of the village were Krzysztof and Bartłomiej Niemieczkowski. In 1757, the village - owned by the Raczyński noble family at the time - was incorporated into the Stobnica estate. Following the establishment by Atanazy Raczyński of the Obrzycko fee tail estate (ordynacja) with administrative centre in Gaj Mały (1825), a number of surrounding estates - including the ones in Niemieczkowo and Osowo - were incorporated into the newly established, larger entity, designed to keep the land within the family. As the owners of the Obrzycko fee tail estate, the Raczyński family owned Niemieczkowo right until World War I; in years 1918-1936, the village passed into the hands of Maria Tomaszewska. In 1936, the Agricultural Bank had to split up and sell the Niemieczkowo estate, which was encumbered by substantial debts by then. Today, both the manor house and the park remain in private hands.

According to the surviving source materials, the manor house was originally erected in 1730 by Dutch settlers. No further information exists as to the subsequent transformations of the edifice. The layout of the building, however, allows one to suspect the existence of a now-vanished corner extension. In 1939, the roof truss was renovated. In 1969, the interiors underwent renovation works, with some of them being adapted as guest rooms. In 1995, the ceiling beams were replaced; the roof tiles have also been relaid.

The park surrounding the manor house was most likely established at the turn of the 19th century.

Description

The village of Niemieczkowo is located at a distance of 2 kilometres away from the road leading from Oborniki to Szamotuły. The distance between Szamotuły and Niemieczkowo is 10 kilometres. The manor house and park complex is located on the eastern bank of the Samica river, which is a tributary of the larger Warta river. The site of the former manor farm adjoins the complex from the south. The manor house, designed on a rectangular floor plan, features an added, lower wing in the west, with a gable roof covered with roofing felt. The manor house is a clay brick structure standing upon a brick-and-stone foundation. There is a basement underneath the entire building, its walls and barrel vaults being covered with lime plaster. The walls of the building itself are also covered with plaster, both on the inside and on the outside. The wooden queen post truss supports a tall, broad half-hip roof with small eyebrow dormers positioned on the axis of the building; the roof is clad with beaver tail roof tiles. The attic features post-and-beam partition walls with brick infills.

The interior layout follows a three-bay pattern, with a central vestibule running across the building; the vestibule is accessible from the colonnaded porch in the front and from the rear terrace in the back, the latter facing the garden. The eastern part of the manor house retains its highly representational character, while the western part, accessible through a long hallway, was adapted as guest lodgings. The large number of surviving period features inside the house deserves a particular mention; these include original doors and windows with wrought iron fittings as well as internal chimney hatches and hoods, a roof vent and numerous tiled stoves.

The park which surrounds the manor house features a great variety of deciduous trees; spreading mostly towards the north and the east, the park covers a relatively varied terrain which slopes gently towards the Samica river. The large pond, located south of the manor house, creates a picturesque vista while at the same time separating the house from the access road and the manor farm on the other side thereof.

The building is accessible for visitors upon prior arrangement with the owners.

compiled by Tomasz Łuczak, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Poznan, 04-11-2014.

Bibliography

• Brust M., Nowak S., Oborniki i okolice, Oborniki 1992, s. 44.
• Libicki Marcin, Libicki Piotr, Dwory i pałace w Wielkopolsce, Poznań 2003, s. 238-239.
• Karta ewidencyjna zabytków architektury i budownictwa, Niemieczkowo - dwór, oprac. Buchalscy A. P., 1996, Archiwum Wielkopolskiego Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków w Poznaniu.
• Ewidencja parku krajobrazowego w Niemieczkowie, oprac. Łuczak Zenon, 1986, Archiwum Wielkopolskiego Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków w Poznaniu.