Niemodlin Castle

The Princely Castle in Niemodlin is one of the largest residences in the Opole region and an important example of a Silesian Renaissance castle. It stands on the eastern edge of the town, on the left bank of the Ścinawa Niemodlińska, surrounded by a park with ancient trees. The present-day structure is a four-winged residence centred around a rectangular courtyard, within whose walls the remains of a medieval stronghold of the Opole Piasts have been incorporated. After years of neglect, the castle is now in private hands, is being gradually restored and has been opened to the public.

The Piast origins

On the site of an earlier 13th-century stronghold, Prince Bolesław the First-Born, son of Bolko I, Prince of Opole, built a stone lowland castle around 1313. This year is now accepted as the date of the castle’s foundation – hence the name „Niemodlin 1313 Princely Castle”. At that time, Niemodlin was the seat of one of the Opole Piast lines, and in subsequent generations it was ruled by, amongst others, the sons of Bolesław and the descendants of Bolko III, including Bernard of Niemodlin. At that time, the Silesian region lay outside the Kingdom of Poland – the Dukes of Opole were vassals of the Bohemian Crown. In 1428, the castle suffered damage during a Hussite raid. From this period, Gothic walls built of Zendrówka brick and fragments of stonework in the south-west wing have survived.

The Pückler Residence

Following the extinction of the Niemodlin line of the Piasts, the estates were taken over by the Habsburgs and administered by starosts. In 1552, the castle was destroyed by a devastating fire. A dozen or so years later, the estate was purchased by Kaspar von Pückler, and it was the Pücklers who commissioned the construction of the modern residence. The reconstruction took place in three stages: between 1573 and 1577, 1589–1592 and around 1610. A four-winged complex was then created, featuring a courtyard surrounded by arcaded cloisters, drawing on Renaissance models such as Wawel, as well as Silesian examples in Brzeg and Prószków.

The Promnitz, Zierotin and Praschm families

During the Thirty Years’ War, in 1643, the castle was destroyed. It later belonged to the Promnitz family, and subsequently to the Moravian Zierotin family, who held it until 1779. Towards the end of the 18th century, the estate passed into the hands of the Counts von Praschma, who were related to them, and Niemodlin – like the whole of Silesia following the Silesian Wars – was by then part of Prussia. The Praschmas remodelled the interiors: in the 19th century, the arcades of the cloisters were bricked up and the chapel was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style. The last owner from this family was Count Frederick Leopold von Praschma, who held the estate until 1945.

Architecture

The castle has four wings – the eastern wing, which is lower and has two storeys, whilst the other three have three storeys – and four corner towers with staircases. In the west wing stands the gate tower, square at the base and octagonal at the top, crowned with a late Baroque cupola; its façade is decorated with sgraffito. Above the portal is a cartouche bearing the Praschm coat of arms. The interiors feature preserved eclectic stucco work, a Classical-style fireplace, polychrome coffered ceilings and Neo-style paintings in the chapel. A stone bridge over the former moat leads to the gate; it is adorned with statues of the saints: Wendelin, Florian, Anthony of Padua and John of Nepomuk.

The 20th century

After the Second World War, when Niemodlin came to lie within Poland’s borders, the castle served successively as the State Repatriation Office, a secondary school and a non-commissioned officers„ training school. Over time, it fell into disrepair and was vandalised. In 1990, it was purchased by a private investor. Jan Jakub Kolski shot the film *Jasminum* (premiered in 2006) in the courtyard and interiors; elements of the set design, including the frames of the monks” cells, have been preserved in the castle to this day. In 2006, ownership passed to the Łódź-based Institute of Creative Practice, and in 2015 to the company Centrum from Łódź, under which the Foundation for the Prince’s Castle in Niemodlin 1313 operates.

The Legend of the Stone of Power

The castle is linked to a modern-day tale about the Stone of Power in the dungeons. According to a legend recounted by the writer Ewa Kassala, the stone is said to have witnessed a meeting between the witch Ragana and Mieszko I, after which the ruler is said to have decided to be baptised. This is a literary tale with no basis in historical sources, but it has become one of the stops on the sightseeing tour.

The castle today

In 2016, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, approximately 4,000 m² of roofing was replaced, and restoration work is still ongoing, which is why the tour route is subject to change. Guided tours of the interiors include, amongst other things, the Bridge of Saints, the Renaissance courtyard, the Neo-Gothic chapel, the cellars with their exhibitions, the music room and the library. A separate ticket entitles visitors to a self-guided walk through the castle gardens, home to seven natural monuments and a herd of fallow deer. The European Sculpture Park is being developed in the grounds, and the 1313 Restaurant operates in the renovated coach house. In 2017, the castle received a certificate from the Polish Tourist Organisation for the best tourist product.