The palace in Pobiedna was built from
initiatives of Adolf Traugott von Gersdorf in 1767-1768, on the site of the older manor house from 1608.
The original fief village, Unięcice called Meffersdorf is first mentioned together with the local church in 1346. In 1546, in a document issued by Emperor Ferdinand I of Bohemia, Unięcice (then Meffersdorf) was mentioned as a fief. In 1570 this town is also mentioned. We also know that v
1587, there was a market right in the town. Originally, Unięcice and Schwert were connected. This state of affairs lasted until 1592.
An imperial document from 1546 mentions Hans von Üchtritz zu Shwerta, the first known owner of Unięcice. Probably the next known representatives of this family are also the owners of Unięcice, namely in 1518, Nickel Üchtritz, 1532 Sebastian, 1526 Friedrich, 1527 widow Katarzyna, 1549 Hans, 1618 Hans Otto, 1620 Julius, 1625 Christoph. He was the last owner of these properties from this family. This Christoph Üchtritz-Osterholz was the owner of a tin mine in the Bautzen district. After his death in 1638, the estate was put up for sale by auction. During the Thirty Years' War, the estate completely collapsed and, in debt, it was finally put up for auction. Unięcice is then bought by Wigand von Gersdorf in Ober-Steinkirch for 9,000 thalers. In 1667, he founded a town called from his name Wigandsthal /Pobiedna/, mentioned in 1668 as "de Markflechen Wigandsthal" - "Meffersdorfe stadtchen". He settles religious refugees from the Czech Republic there.
Glass grinding is developed in the town, glass is dyed red and artificial garnets are made. Two market squares with the right to have three fairs are being built. In 1686, after the death of Wigand von Gerrsdorf, Karol Feliks Ernst von Gersdorf purchased these goods for the sum of 45,000 thalers, then Christoph Gottlob took over the estate in 1690.
The owner, known for his merits, is Wolf Adolf von Gersdorf, who purchased these goods for the sum of 60,000 thalers in 1712. The owner from the Gersdorf family did a lot for the development of the dominion's economy. He partially establishes and modernizes the farm, erects numerous farm buildings, as evidenced by the dates placed on the portals of the buildings preserved so far - a barn building in the courtyard - a portal with the initials WAvG - 1721, the date on the wall surrounding the current park - 1736, the date and initials on the well in the village of Neu -Gersdorf WAvG 1743. It was he who installed the well and the waterworks supplying water from above to the dominion and the brewery he probably founded on the farm. To improve communication, he builds two stone bridges. During his times, a paper mill and a pharmacy were also built. It is also known that he founded a large orchard on the estate. Through purchases and expansion of the estate, he again united Unięcice and Schwerta, which had been separated in 1590. After his death in 1749, the estate was inherited by his nephew Rudolf Ernst von Gersdorf née Regensdorff.
In 1750, the estate of Meffersdorf (Unięcice) was transferred from a former knight's fief to a life estate. In 1756, Rudolf Ernst v. Gersdorf soon sells these goods, in 1756 for the sum of 104,000 thalers to his brother Adolf Traugott v. Gersdorf, also known as "der gelehrte Herr von Meffersdorf". He was a famous nature explorer and naturalist. The estate remained in his possession in the years 1756-1807. At that time, the Gersdorf seat in Unięcice was a place of numerous meetings of contemporary scholars. During his time, in 1767, the old castle was abolished. In the same year, he began the construction of a new headquarters - the current palace. To build the palace, he employs a Bauconductor from Dresden - Konrad Gotthelf Rothe.
Adolf Traugott von Gersdorf
Herder-Institut
Schnitt und Aufriss des Schlosses in Meffersdorf
In 1775, to beautify the surroundings of the new palace, he ordered the establishment of a palace park - in a modern spirit - "der Englischen Garten". In the palace he collects nature collections, paintings, engravings that were fashionable at that time, books, cards, models, and mountain reliefs. The palace collections he collected were then transferred to Zgorzelec after his death as a gift to the Górno-Łużycki Scientific Society.
In 1799, he built the garden pavilion "Grune Sommerhaus" (which had a green roof). The founder of the pavilion gives the following justification for building the pavilion - "I had three goals: 1/ to enjoy the wonderful view around more often, 2/ to detect fires at night and 3/ to be able to make informative and entertaining observations about atmospheric electricity by installing a lightning protection system on it."
In 1804, this natural scientist also built an observatory on the border of Neu-Gersdorf, called later Kaiser Wilhelm - Turm. Adolf Traugott von Gersdorf dies childless in 1805. Goods of Meffersdorf - Unięcice is inherited by Gustaw Ernst von Gersdorf from Grodzitz. In 1814, by agreement, the estate was transferred to his brother Karol Henryk Traugott. In 1823, the estate was purchased by the land starosta Victor Amadeus von Hessen-Rothenburg from Schwert for the sum of 415,000 thalers. In 1830, the estate was purchased by Count Ernst von Seherr-Thoss - a Knight of St. John and the Red Eagle, lord of Dobra in the Prudnik district. During his time, the observatory was renovated and a bronze bust of Emperor Wilhelm I was placed in a niche, from which it took its name. After the death of Ernst von Seherr-Thoss in 1856, the estate passed to his nephew, the royal mayor, Gustav Theodor von Saldern-Plattenburg.
In 1876, after the death of the latter, the estates were distributed. Unięcice (Meffersdorf) was purchased in 1878 for the sum of 825,000 thalers by Joseph Robrecht, royal court councilor from Berlin. In the years 1889-1890 the estate was held by his son Albrecht Robrecht, and in the years 1890-1900 by his heirs. In 1900, Otto Czarnowsky purchased these properties for just two years. In the years 1902-1903 the estate belonged to the Land Bank in Berlin. In 1903, the property was purchased by Christian Kraft zu Hohenlohe-Dehringen from Sławencice - a large landowner and industrialist. The property remained in the possession of this family until the last war. After the war, it became part of the local State Agricultural Farm and was then transferred to the Education Department for school purposes.
The complex, consisting of a palace, a garden, a park and a farm, stretches southeast from the main road of the former village, in its central part. Parallel to it, on its southwestern side, there is a town with two market squares, founded in the mid-17th century.
The palace building was located between the garden from the north-west and the park from the south-west. From the southwest, there is a market square adjacent to the palace, and from the northeast, there is a regular farm complex. The main entrance to the palace driveway leads from the market square, through a gate passage located in the building forming one of the market frontages, on the axis of which, on the opposite side behind the palace, there is a gate leading to the farm yard.
The palace building was built on a horseshoe plan opening towards the garden, three-winged, two-story, with a high basement, covered with gable roofs. Entrances to the palace lead from four sides through stone stairs located centrally: from the garden, park, grange and the entrance from the market square. The main entrance to the palace vestibule leads from the garden driveway. The symmetrically located entrances were accentuated with flat avant-corps: triaxial in the main wing and uniaxial in the side wings. The palace facades rise on a high plinth with a slightly accentuated step. There are square windows, segmentally topped, surrounded by simple stone bands. The façade axes are marked by flat, apparent single-axis avant-corps, and more prominent triaxial avant-corps in the main wing, topped with dormers.
Alexander Dunker Berlin 1878-1880
The late Baroque palace in Pobiedna had its façade facing south towards the ornamental garden. From the west, a large farmstead adjoins the side façade of the residence, separated from it by a stone wall. A similar old wall divides the entire area and states the nearest surroundings of the palace (ornamental garden, forested hill, farm). The main entrance to the residence leads from the east from a former country road, through a gate in the wall that limits the entire complex.
Adjacent from the south to the front façade of the palace, the ornamental garden was laid out on a rectangular plan. At the height of the entrance portal, preceded by high stairs on this side, the axis of the garden was marked out in the form of a straight road, at the end of which a decorative pond with a fanciful shape was placed. Behind the pond, on a formed platform, an octagonal garden pavilion was built, covered with a mansard roof with arcaded windows. Located on a slightly southerly sloping area, the garden is bounded on this side by a flood embankment built along the riverbed. From the south, the garden is adjoined by a flat area, which may have been used as a vegetable garden. However, it cannot be ruled out that there was a bosket there, because in this part a group of old trees from the second half of the 19th century has been preserved. The location of the garden on the axis of the residence, its regular shape and direct connection with the palace are typical of Togo-type solutions created in the third quarter of the 18th century.
The small flat area adjacent to the side façade of the residence from the east shows clear traces of earthworks. This suggests that attempts were made to create a garden there. The area on the northern side of the palace's façade, preceded by stairs like the façade, was also transformed. In the hill adjacent to this side, land was selected and a kind of conch shell was created with a round pool on the axis of the stairs and the entrance portal. The axis of the ornamental garden thus marked from the south, further emphasized by a garden pavilion and a pond, was continued on the opposite side of the building.
It is currently difficult to clearly determine what role the forested hill played
constituting the northern part of this entire development. The fact that this area was fenced with an old wall proves its early use. This wall also included an 8-sided garden pavilion with an arcaded entrance, built around 1775 on the southern side. From the west, an entrance gate was pierced in the wall surrounding the forested hill, vaulted and topped with a viewing terrace, accessible via stairs built on the sides. This gate, in addition to its usual functions, served as a belvedere from which the surroundings were admired. It seems that no attempts were made to establish a park on the hill, which is forested with young, approximately 100-year-old and little diversified trees.
information provided based on the study:
"Pobiedna - manor layout. Historical and architectural study" from 1985. by Janina Eysmontt
palace and park monument cards
