History of the Castle

The history of Lubliniec is inseparably related to Lubliniec Castle.

1272: According to tradition, date of creation of Lubliniec by Prince Ladislaus I of Opole & Raciborz. At that time, Silesia, like the rest of Poland, was in the period of feudal disintegration. There were dozens of independent principalities in Poland, and Lubliniec was part of the Duchy of Opole & Raciborz, which was ruled by the Piast dynasty.

1397: For the first time in written sources, the existence of the prince's castle in Lubliniec was reported.

1500: Lubliniec received confirmation of civic rights from Duke John II "the Good" of Opole & Raciborz. He gave the city several privileges, including the right to hold a weekly market.

1532: After the death of John II "the Good", Silesia was incorporated into the sphere of sovereignty of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty, ruling over the Kingdom of Bohemia. Lubliniec, including the castle and the surrounding villages, was leased out.

1576: Lubliniec and the castle changed owners several times.

1587: Lubliniec, along with the castle, which had been leased by John Kochcicki since 1576, was acquired by him. The castle was rebuilt and became one of the seats of the Kochcicki family.

1607: The plague in Lubliniec, which reportedly took 735 victims, representing three-quarters of the population.

1638: It is said that Polish King Władysław IV Waza stayed in Lubliniec, probably at the castle.

1645: Lubliniec's goods were confiscated by the Habsburg family from the Kochcicki family for supporting Protestantism. The property was acquired by Andrew Cellary, and the castle became the seat of the Cellary family.

1645-1722: The Cellary family was the owner of Lubliniec and the castle.

1650: A great fire almost completely destroyed Lubliniec, leaving only three houses. The castle also suffered damage and was renovated in the Baroque style.

1655: Under Andrew Cellary's supervision, the castle became a shelter for the painting of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, which was brought here by the Pauline Fathers to protect it from Swedish requisitioning.

1727: Lubliniec's goods were acquired by Peter de Garnier. The castle became the seat of the de Garnier family.

1727-1763: Lubliniec and the castle were owned by the de Garnier family.

1740-1763: Period of the "Silesian Wars" between Prussia and Austria. As a result, most of Silesia, including Lubliniec, was dominated by Prussia.

1763: Lubliniec and the castle changed owners several times (Anna Gaschin, Karl Ludwig German, Sophia Carolina Dyhrn, Frederick William Schlabrndorf, Dionysius Jeanneret, Francis Grotowski).

1768-1772: The Confederation of Bar, an anti-King and anti-Russian uprising in Poland. Lubliniec became a refuge for many Confederates, who likely lived in the castle. Among them were Francis Krasińska, wife of the Prince of Saxony, son of Augustus III, Antoni Lubomirski, and Bishop Adam Krasinski.

1770-1771: Kazimierz Pułaski, a prominent commander of the Confederates who later became a hero of the American War of Independence, stayed several times at the castle, visiting Francis Krasińska.

1784-1814: The owner of Lubliniec was Francis Grotowski, who resided at the castle. In his will, he set aside the castle building to establish an educational institution for orphans.

1826: Maria Blacha, widow of Francis Grotowski, died. The Prussian authorities took over the castle and discontinued the orphanage, relocating it to new headquarters.

1832: Lubliniec's goods, including the castle, were purchased from the Prussian authorities by Andrew Renard, who lived in Strzelce Wielkie (Opole). He made the castle available to the authorities for public purposes.

1848-1892: The castle was the seat of the Royal District Court for the Lubliniec District.

1854-1874: The castle served as the seat of the Lubliniec County District.

1859-1862: Part of the Lubliniec estate, including the castle, was bought by Frederic Kielmann from Andrew Renard.

1892: The castle, owned by Reinhold Kielmann, son of Frederic, was purchased by the Opole Province, a German administrative unit.

1893: The German authorities opened a hospital for the mentally ill and disabled in Lubliniec. The old castle became part of the hospital and was partially rebuilt.

1921: Upper Silesia was divided between Poland and Germany. Lubliniec was within the Polish borders.

1922: Lubliniec was officially taken over by the Polish authorities. The castle remained part of the psychiatric hospital.

1939: With the outbreak of the Second World War, Lubliniec was occupied by the German army and incorporated into the Third Reich. The castle housed a psychiatric observation unit.

1945: After liberation from German occupation, the psychiatric hospital resumed operations in the castle.

1960: The Bureau of the Provincial Council in Katowice decided to include the castle on the list of Cultural Monuments.

1979: The castle was decommissioned as a psychiatric hospital due to its poor technical condition.

1999: The "Castle Lubliniec Foundation" was established, with the city of Lubliniec and 83 other entities supporting the restoration of the castle.

2002: The "Castle Lubliniec" property was acquired by the city of Lubliniec from the Marshal's Office of Silesia in Katowice.

2005: The reconstruction of the castle began as part of a great challenge.

2010: After five years of work, "Hotel Zamek Lubliniec" was opened.

2012: In January, the Hotel Zamek Lubliniec hosted the President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski.