Castle in Grodziec

he castle in Grodziec was erected in the fourteenth century, from this assumption the cellars and probably the barrel vaulted hall on the ground floor have survived. The present castle, with only residential features, was built in the years 1542-1580 on the initiative of Maciej Grodecki, and the construction was continued by his son Henryk. Their surname is also used in publications in the form Grodzieccy. The main body of the building (then a one-storey building) comes from this period, with several Renaissance portals preserved on the ground floor. The Grodecki family ruled Grodziec until 1660. In 1625, in the vicinity of the castle building, the chapel of St. Dorothy was erected, only the ruins of this building demolished in 1927 have survived.

In 1650, a second storey was added and a park 

Aerial view from the south-west, photo by ZeroJeden, X 2012

was established around the castle, in which a stone bridge has been preserved. In 1660, through family connections, Grodziec became the property of Joachim Marklowski, and after his death, it was briefly in the hands of Jan Dam of Biedrzychowice, who in 1666 sold the estate to Jerzy Sobek. The next owners were the surrounding families for a century and a half.

In the first half of the eighteenth century, as a result of marriage with the daughter of the owners, the castle became the property of the Hungarian Edward Gustav Appona. It was probably then that the extension on the west side was built.

In the interwar period, valuable equipment and collections were gathered in the castle, including the library. During World War II, however, the collection was plundered. Some of them are currently housed in several Silesian museums. After the war, the castle housed the Institute of Animal Production, and since 2004 the building has been in private hands.