Brzeg Castle
| Brzeg Castle | |
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 Brzeg Castle
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| Coordinates | 50°51′50″N 17°28′01″E / 50.86375°N 17.4669°E |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1235 |
Brzeg Castle is located in Brzeg, Opole Voivodeship, within the Silesia region of Poland. Now a museum, the structures includes the Piast dynasty mausoleum.
Brzeg Castle is located on a cliff to the west of the Oder River, in the city of Brzeg on the border of Lower Silesian Voivodeship and the Opole Voivodeship provinces in southwestern Poland. It is situated near the national road 39 between Namysłów and Strzelin.
Earliest reports of the castle's existence describe a small fortress with a moat and fortified walls, built in 1235 during the reign of Henry I the Bearded. A square tower known as "The Tower of Lions" was built adjoining the castle. The Piast family branch, which ruled over Duchy of Brzeg, lived in the castle between 1311 until 1675. In 1342, the castle was made the capital seat of the duchy after which it was refurbished many times. In 1370, Prince Ludwik I extended the castle and constructed its chapel which includes the Piast dynasty mausoleum. During Frederick II of Legnica's reign in 1544, more buildings were added to the castle, with the construction completed in 1560. The additions were in the form of two new buildings, a large courtyard enclosing the buildings and an ambulatory. Additional structures built during this period included a tower gate which was the entrance to the structure. Busts of the Piast princes were part of the gate's decor. Modifications in design were from the Gothic style fort to the Renaissance type of architecture in Silesia.
In 1741, the castle was destroyed by the Prussian forces in the First Silesian War, during which the ruins were used as a warehouse for the Prussian Army. After the war, the town — called Brieg in German — with most of Silesia was annexed from Austria to Prussia. Brieg remained in Prusso-German possession until most of Silesia was transferred to Poland in 1945.
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Wikipedia