Palace, Jelenia Góra
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2 poł. XVIII w.
Late Baroque palace, built in 1784-1788. An excellent example of late 18th-century residential architecture in Lower Silesia, the palace used to serve as a country home of one of the branches of the renowned Silesian magnates - the von Schaffgotsch family.
The building was erected in years 1784-1788 for Johann Nepomucen Schaffgotsch, replacing a 16th-century Renaissance manor house which was lost to the blaze in 1777. The task of overseeing the completion of the construction works fell upon Johann Georg Rudolf, while the design of the palace itself most likely originated from Prague. The façade decorations are the work of Augustin Wagner and Johann Pausenberger. The interior, designed in the Empire style, dates back to the years 1789-1809, featuring painted decorations by Anton Paetz, plasterwork by Johann Joseph Echtler as well as furniture by Christian Emmanuel Laube. In 1839, a terrace supported by pillars was added to the rear façade of the palace. In years 1865-66, some of the interiors were redesigned in the Historicist style, while in 1900 another remodelling took place, with much of the Classicist forms being reintroduced. In the years 1949-1951, the palace underwent restoration coupled with a partial interior redesign after a decision had been taken to transform the palace into a government building. Subsequent renovation works followed in the years 1972-73 and 1976; from 1975 onwards, the palace has served as the department of the Wrocław University of Technology. The accompanying park, established in 1713 and originally designed in the Baroque style, was transformed in 1796 and subsequently extended in the years 1816-21 as well as in 1834, with a man named Ritter - a garden designer from Bad Muskau - being involved in the redesign process. Later on, in 1889, the park was thoroughly redesigned and extended, attaining its current boundaries; this time around, the task of redesigning the garden fell upon a landscape designer named Rother, based in Wrocław.
The building is located in the centre of the Cieplice district, forming part of the southern frontage of the square. The palace is a mixture of the Baroque and the Classicist styles. It is a two-storey brick and stone structure designed on a C-shaped floor plan, its arms facing the south. Its compact, three-storey body, consisting of three distinct wings, is positioned atop a low plinth. The palace consists of the elongated corps de logis flanked by two shorter wings taking the form of avant-corps. The building is covered by an ensemble of gable roofs, their surface pierced with dormer windows. The façades feature a plaster finish, while the bottom plinth is lined with sandstone. The elongated façade follows an eleven-axis design, its total length being 81 metres; a pair of symmetrical, three-axial pseudo-avant-corps breaks the monotony of the design. The façade is accentuated with rusticated pilasters positioned at its corners; the three middle axes of the façade are partitioned with giant order pilasters supporting the crowning cornice above. The cornice follows a semi-circular outline above the middle axis of the building in order to accommodate a heraldic cartouche. The rectangular windows are framed with stone surrounds and arranged in a regular pattern. The first-floor windows on the three middle axes of the façade are topped with segmental arches and feature semi-circular window headers. A trio of large, oval oculi is positioned directly above the windows. A terrace supported by fluted pillars, constructed in 1839, projects from the garden façade. The interior follows a three-bay layout, with a narrow inner hallway. The ground floor rooms feature vaulted ceilings of the barrel type, with lunettes. Flat ceilings with crown mouldings are used on the first and second floor, some of them adorned with stucco decorations. A two-storey ballroom (the Great Hall) is positioned on the middle axia of the corps de logis; with its sumptuous Classicist décor, the opulence of the Great Hall was also mirrored in the design of the White Hall and the Blue Hall, the latter featuring surviving silk tapestries from the late 18th century. Similar design themes also appear in the Yellow Hall, the chapel and the music room. Another distinctive feature of the interior is the ensemble of Empire-style tiled stoves from the 18th and 19th century.
An extensive park stretches south of the palace, featuring two distinct areas: one designed as an accompaniment to the palace, the other intended to serve as a health resort park.
The building currently serves the needs of an educational institution; it can be viewed from the outside. Exploring the interiors is possible by prior telephone arrangement.
compiled by Piotr Roczek, Regional Branch of the National Heritage Board of Poland in Wrocław, 04-05-2015.
Słownik Geografii Turystycznej Sudetów. Vol. 4 Kotlina Jeleniogórska, M. Staffa (ed.), Wrocław 1999, pp. 117-119.
Kapałczyński W., Napierała P., Zamki, pałace i dwory Kotliny Jeleniogórskiej, Jelenia Góra-Wrocław 2005, pp. 15-18.
Zabytki sztuki w Polsce. Śląsk, Warsaw 2006, p. 360.
Type: palace
Chronology: 2 poł. XVIII w.
Form of protection: register of monuments
Address: Piastowski 27, Jelenia Góra
Location: Voivodeship dolnośląskie, district Jelenia Góra, commune Jelenia Góra
Source: National Heritage Board of Poland
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