Castles
A few steps from the Żary market square stands the oldest witness to the town's past: the castle and palace complex with the Gothic tower that greets everyone entering the centre. The first knightly seat was raised here in the 13th century by the Czech Albrecht Dewin, and after 1355 it was expanded by the Biberstein family — the tower that survives today comes from that phase.
In 1558 Balthasar Promnitz turned the fortress into a renaissance residence; the Promnitzes later added a baroque palace, which became the family's main seat. In the 19th century the building served as a prison, and after the Second World War briefly as an office — before falling into decay.
The court of the Promnitzes hosted the young Georg Philipp Telemann for several years: he composed, led the court orchestra and arranged church music. A bench in his memory stands on the Żary market square.
The complex remains in private hands and is closed to visitors — the tower and palace are best admired during a walk around the old town. A telling contrast is the restored ducal palace in Żagań, 13 km away.
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