Krapkowice Castle

Where the Osobłoga flows into the Oder stands a four-winged residence whose history reads like a catalogue of Silesian plot twists. Krapkowice Castle was bought in 1582 for 1,600 thalers, rebuilt as a grand seat of the von Redern family, burnt in 1722, ransacked during the Napoleonic Wars, and since 1947 has housed a school. The date 1678 on the gate marks the completion of the residence in its present form.

History: from stronghold to school

Little is known about the castle's beginnings. According to the town's website it already existed in the 13th century, before Krapkowice received its town charter. After the death of Duke Jan II the Good in 1532, the castle passed to Margrave George of Hohenzollern. In 1582 Emperor Rudolf II Habsburg sold the town and castle to Count Johann Joachim von Redern for 1,600 thalers, which meant Krapkowice ceased to be a ducal town.

On the site of the medieval building the Rederns raised a new residence around an inner courtyard. Construction ended in 1678. The castle had a high ground floor and two upper storeys, a mirrored summer dining room, and the courtyard was surrounded by arcaded galleries leading to a vineyard. Next to it stood an orangery with glass walls, linked to a hothouse, a garden and a park.

On 16 June 1722 a fire destroyed almost the entire town along with the castle. The residence was rebuilt but one storey lower, and that is how it has survived. In 1765 the widow of Count Heinrich Adolf von Redern sold the estate to Count Karl Wilhelm von Haugwitz.

A turbulent 19th and 20th century

For a time the castle rooms housed weaving workshops. In 1806 it became a field hospital for the French and Bavarian troops besieging the fortress of Koźle; the building was ransacked and its furnishings completely destroyed. Between 1834 and 1845 part of it was used as a school. Only in 1888 did Count Heinrich Kurt von Haugwitz restore the castle and make it his residence. The Haugwitz family owned it until 1945. During the Second World War the building was badly damaged and lost its entire roof. After reconstruction it has housed a school since 1947, today the Piast Dukes of Opole Vocational School Complex.

What to look for

• The gate with the date 1678, marking the completion of the Redern residence.
• The four-winged block around its inner courtyard, best seen from the Oder side.
• The location at the mouth of the Osobłoga, which explains the site's defensive role.

Tripto tip

The castle is a working school, so you will most likely see it from outside; access to the courtyard depends on school hours. The best view of the building is from the river. Combine your visit with the market square and the house at number 4, where Jérôme Bonaparte stayed in 1806, and the Upper Gate Tower with its tourist information point. The whole walk takes about an hour and a half.