Castle in Żary

he stronghold, which existed in the present north-western corner of the town, belonged to the Czech Devin family. It was located within the borders of the duchies of Lower Silesia. After the death of Albrecht Devin in 1280, Żary passed into the hands of the von Pack family. They began to erect a brick castle at the end of the thirteenth century.

The castle had a quadrilateral plan, it was built of stone and brick. The residential building was added to the northern wall, and the entrance gate was located right next to it in the eastern wall. At that time, the residential house had three floors, it was single-bay, with a basement. The lower storey is made of stone, the next two were built of brick in the monk bond. In that form, the castle did not have a tower.

The first expansion, also identified as the second stage of 

photo by ZeroJeden, V 2004

the actual construction, took place until 1329. At that time, the west wing and a brick tower with a quadrangle plan were built.

The next expansion was made by the next owners - the Bibersteins, who took over the castle as a dowry in 1355. In the mid-fifteenth century, another building was erected in the south-eastern corner. Like the first one, it had three storeys and cellars, foundations and a stone ground floor, and the upper floor was built of brick in the Gothic layout. In the mid-sixteenth century, from the side of the courtyard, the southern and eastern wings were embellished with arcades, which gave it Renaissance features.

In 1558, the castle was bought by Baltazar Promnitz, whose descendants in the years 1710-1716 erected a new palace to the east of the existing buildings.

In 1824, the castle was turned into a prison, which existed here until 1935, when it was replaced by a regional museum. At the end of World War II, the castle was consumed by fire. It has not been rebuilt so far, and the burnt walls are closed to visitors. In the castle, an arcaded courtyard, Gothic and Renaissance polychromes and graphite decorations have been preserved.