Wojnowice is a village in Lower Silesia, Poland, located about 23 km west of Wrocław on the Środa Upland. Its first historically documented mention was in 1291. This started a rich history closely tied to its iconic castle on the water – one of the few surviving Renaissanceera moated fortresses in Poland.
The castle was originally built as a fortified knightly residence in the 14th century. The castle may have been built by Johann Skopp (who was granted the estate in 1351) or perhaps by earlier owners of the land: Tyl and Berthold von Zindal. Regardless of who the original architects were, it likely began as a simple two-story tower surrounded by a brick wall and moat crossed via a wooden drawbridge.
By 1409, it passed to Nicolas von Wohnwitz, who in turn transferred the estate to Franz von Schellendorf. In 1435 it passed to the von Krickow family as part of a broader trend of wealthy urbanites acquiring rural estates in the region after the culmination of the Hussite wars. In 1511, Achatius Haunold – a prominent Wrocław official and Lutheran reformer – became owner of the castle. Though he sold it just two years later to Nicolaus von Schebitz, Haunold left a lasting mark on the castle. Schebitz began a major transformation of the castle, first dismantling the Gothic fortress, and then initiating construction of the Renaissance residence which forms the basis of the modern-day castle.
This work continued later on through the Boner family, especially Lucrezia Boner and her husbands Jakub Boner and Andreas Hertwig. They expanded the castle into a four-winged structure with a double moat and richly decorated portal bearing their coats of arms and inscriptions. The castle’s architecture features brick construction with sandstone detailing, stepped gables, and Renaissance arcades – all surrounding a scenic courtyard. The north wing (previously the lord’s house) is three stories tall, while the rest of the castle is two stories tall. The structure rests on oak piles embedded deeply into the ground (not unlike the construction methods employed in much of Venice or Amsterdam), which, combined with its moat system, yields to its unique identity of “Zamek na wodzie” – “castle on the water”. Surviving medieval architectural elements include latrine projections on the outer walls, wall fragments in the eastern wing, and remnants of the outer moat.
Ownership changed frequently over the centuries, passing through various noble families including the von Schebitz, Boner, von Sauerma, von Mudrach, von Maltzahn, von Koschembahr, von Prießemuth, Klemm, Weitz, Schneider, von Kramsta, and lastly the von Livonius family, before significant damage during the Second World War. Despite wartime damage in 1945 during the Soviet offensive, followed by years of looting and neglect, the castle retained its Renaissance layout.
Restoration efforts began in the 1960s, which were led by the Association of Art Historians and executed by Wrocław’s Historic Preservation Studio. In 2014, the castle became the property of the College of Eastern Europe, which revitalized it as a cultural and academic center. Restoration efforts on the interior are in advanced stages and faithful to the original. In the present day, Wojnowice Castle houses offices, conference rooms, a hotel, and a restaurant. It hosts weddings, concerts, and scholarly events. Its surrounding park and trails, likewise, provide a scenic space surrounding the castle.
Calendarium
- 1291 – First historically documented mention of Wojnowice village
- 1300s – Original construction of the castle
- 1351 – Estate granted to Johann Skopp, possibly the castle’s original builder
- 1409 – Estate passed to Nicolas von Wohnwitz
- 1435 – Estate acquired by the von Krickow family
- 1511 – Achatius Haunold became owner of the castle
- 1513-1518 – First stage of reconstruction of the castle
- 1513 – Nicolaus von Schebitz acquired the castle and began a Renaissance-style renovation
- 1562-1590 – Another stage of reconstruction which gave the building its present-day layout
- 1650 – New framing of the main portal created
- 1750 – Addition of a roof dormer above the axis of the entrance portal
- 1864 – Replacement of the old wooden bridge with a brick three-span bridge
- 1903 – Lightning destroyed the roof and some gables; roof trusses and roof are repaired
- 1945 – Extensive damage as a result of the Second World War
- 1961-1984 – Renovation of the castle carried out by the Laboratory of Conservation of Monuments in Wrocław
- until 2014 – Lease of the castle by the Association of Art Historians
- mid-2014 – The College of Eastern Europe becomes owner of the castle
- April 2015 – Opening of the castle restaurant and guest rooms
- June 2015 – Organization of first concerts and events at the castle
- 2016 – Opening of the historic courtyard
- 2016 – Renovation of the historic pond
- 2019 – Installation of a fire protection system
- 2021 – Restoration of the roof truss, launch of a catering pavilion, celebration of the 20th anniversary of the College of Eastern Europe
- 2022 – Repair of the roof truss and continuation of work on the fire protection system
