castellan wooden-earth stronghold certainly existed in Oleśnica at the beginning of the 13th century. The first brick element was a cylindrical tower with a diameter of 11 meters, erected within its fortifications at the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, the Duchy of Oleśnica was created, so the seat of the princes had to be expanded. This was done before the mid-fourteenth century by prince Konrad I, erecting a large castle on a plan similar to a square with a side of almost 50 meters, which had the main residential wing along the north-west curtain of the walls and a smaller wing at the south-west curtain. In the south corner there was a four-sided tower, and a cylindrical tower located in the east corner defended the entrance located in the north-east curtain. The castle was located in the line of town fortifications, but it was also surrounded from the town side by a moat. Construction works on this first foundation were still undertaken before the end of the fourteenth century.
After 1492, after the death of the last of the Oleśnica princes, the castle was in Czech hands. In 1542, Duke John of Poděbrady began the reconstruction of the residence in the Renaissance style by transforming
External gate at the junction of the town fortifications with the castle, photo by ZeroJeden, IX 2002
the north-west wing. Later, according to the design of Franciszek Parr, a new wing was erected to the east of the castle walls, called the widow's house, and the cylindrical tower was raised octagonally and topped with a Renaissance helmet. The next prince, Charles II of Poděbrady, expanded the residence in the years 1585-1610, and the architect Bernard Niuron was hired for the work. Two new wings were built at the cylindrical tower - first south-east, then north-east with an entrance gate, which was connected to the widows' house. The entire complex was surrounded by modern earth bastion fortifications.
In the years 1613-1616, a covered porch was built, connecting the castle with the parish church, where the prince's box was located. Small construction works giving the castle elements of Baroque decoration were carried out during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and in the nineteenth century the north-eastern wing was rebuilt. In the years 1896-1901, the castle was restored, and J. Maas, who conducted the works, decided to restore its Renaissance appearance.
During World War II, the unattended castle fell into decline a bit, but the reconstruction in the years 1970-1976 restored it to its former glory. The castle houses a museum and other cultural institutions.
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castellan wooden-earth stronghold certainly existed in Oleśnica at the beginning of the 13th century. The first brick element was a cylindrical tower with a diameter of 11 meters, erected within its fortifications at the turn of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, the Duchy of Oleśnica was created, so the seat of the princes had to be expanded. This was done before the mid-fourteenth century by prince Konrad I, erecting a large castle on a plan similar to a square with a side of almost 50 meters, which had the main residential wing along the north-west curtain of the walls and a smaller wing at the south-west curtain. In the south corner there was a four-sided tower, and a cylindrical tower located in the east corner defended the entrance located in the north-east curtain. The castle was located in the line of town fortifications, but it was also surrounded from the town side by a moat. Construction works on this first foundation were still undertaken before the end of the fourteenth century.
