Knight's Palace in Świerklaniec

The park in Świerklaniec, between Tarnowskie Góry and Piekary Śląskie, holds traces of one of the most splendid residences of Upper Silesia. What survives is the Knight's Palace, raised in 1903–1906 to a design by Ernst von Ihne as the guest palace of Prince Guido von Donnersmarck. One of the first guests was Emperor Wilhelm II, and later the family of Guido's son, Prince Guidotto, lived here. The coat of arms of the Donnersmarck princes hangs above the main entrance.

The Little Versailles that vanished

The Knight's Palace was only an addition to the family's main seat — the Little Versailles (Neues Schloss Neudeck), built in 1868–1876 at the initiative of Guido von Donnersmarck. The design is attributed to Hector-Martin Lefuel, the architect of the Louvre's expansion. The French neo-Renaissance building held 34 rooms and 6 apartments; because of the marshy ground its foundations rested on more than two thousand oak piles about 10 metres long. The palace burned down in 1945 and was demolished after the war — garden terraces, pools, a fountain and sculptures by Emmanuel Frémiet survive.

What to see today

The Knight's Palace, managed by the commune of Świerklaniec, is kept in good condition and occasionally opened to visitors — inside, a beautiful staircase survives, although the original decor does not. A curiosity: between 1924 and 1937 the palace was home to Feliks Calonder, chairman of the Mixed Commission for Upper Silesia and a former president of Switzerland. Extend the park walk with the terraces of the Little Versailles; the Piast castle and farm buildings also lie nearby.