Åšwiny Castle (
Polish: ''Zamek Åšwiny''; formerly ''Schweinhausburg'' in
German) - formerly a
gord, as a stronghold existed in its location already in the fifth century - securing the Lubawecki
mountain pass
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since mountain ranges can present formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both Human migration, human and animal migration t ...
, the site was recorded in
Cosmas
Cosmas or Kosmas is a Greek language, Greek name (), from Ancient Greek Κοσμᾶς (Kosmâs), associated with the noun κόσμος (kósmos), meaning "Cosmos, universe", and the verb κοσμÎω (to order, govern, adorn) linked to propr ...
' documents from 1108, where the gord is recorded as ''Suini in Poloniae''. Possibly, soon after, the gord had been expanded into a military stronghold, at which time it was the seat of the
castellans. The castle was mentioned in
Pope Adrian IV
Pope Adrian (or Hadrian) IV (; born Nicholas Breakspear (or Brekespear); 1 September 1159) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 4 December 1154 until his death in 1159. Born in England, Adrian IV was the first Pope ...
's
Papal bull
A papal bull is a type of public decree, letters patent, or charter issued by the pope of the Catholic Church. It is named after the leaden Seal (emblem), seal (''bulla (seal), bulla'') traditionally appended to authenticate it.
History
Papal ...
.
By the 13th century, it had prominent owners including Tader in 1230, Jaksa in 1242, and Piotr of Åšwin in 1248. In the 1270s,
Bolko I the Strict
Bolko (Bolesław) I the Strict, also known as Bolko (Bolesław) of Jawor ( or ''Srogi'' or ''Jaworski''; 1252/56 – 9 November 1301), was a Duke of Lwówek Śląski, Lwówek 1278–81 (with his brother as co-ruler) and Duchy of Jawor, Jawor after ...
's decision led to the loss of its status as a castellany to the newer
Bolków Castle. By 1272, the castle had transitioned to knightly ownership, with "dominus Jan de Swin" mentioned in a document from
Bolesław the Tall, Duke of
Wrocław
Wrocław is a city in southwestern Poland, and the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. It is the largest city and historical capital of the region of Silesia. It lies on the banks of the Oder River in the Silesian Lowlands of Central Eu ...
. In 1313, Piotr de Svyne was noted in the entourage of
Bernard of Åšwidnica. The Åšwink family (von Schweinichen) took ownership in the early 14th century, with Henricus de Swyn documented as the owner in 1323. After the
Bolków Castle was constructed, the castle began to lose its significance.
In the mid-14th century, the Åšwink family replaced the wooden fortifications with a four-story residential-defense tower made from stone, featuring 2.5-meter thick walls. The tower, measuring 12 by 18 meters, had a cellar and was topped with a gabled roof. Its Gothic entrance portal still survives.
In the mid-15th century, Gunzel von Schweinichen added a two-gabled residential building and new perimeter fortifications. Between 1614 and 1660, Johann Sigismund von Schweinichen transformed the castle into a Renaissance residence. He also established a theosophical circle and a mystical-theosophical library in Åšwiny. The mystic
Jakob Böhme
Jakob Böhme (; ; 24 April 1575 – 17 November 1624) was a German philosopher, Christian mysticism, Christian mystic, and Lutheran Protestant Theology, theologian. He was considered an original thinker by many of his contemporaries within the L ...
stayed at the castle in 1624 and wrote "Epistle to the Longing and Hungry Soul."
After the extinction of the Åšwink family line in 1702 with George Ernest von Schweinichen the Younger, the castle was inherited by Sebastian Henryk von Schweinitz in 1713. Despite surviving the
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars or the Hussite Revolution, were a series of civil wars fought between the Hussites and the combined Catholic forces of Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund, the Papacy, a ...
and the
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...
, the castle was plundered by Russian troops during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...
in 1762. Hurricanes in 1840, 1848, and 1868, and a fire in 1876 caused further damage. Efforts to secure the deteriorating structure began in 1931, with partial restoration in 1936-1937. More significant conservation work resumed 30 years later.
Archaeological work near the castle in 1959 revealed evidence of an early medieval settlement. Since 1991, the castle has been privately owned. In 2008, Åšwiny Castle celebrated its 900th anniversary with a monument erected near the ruins. Later that year, the castle changed hands again. The entrance features a cartouche with the von Schweinichen family coat of arms.
External links
*
Zamek Åšwiny - Schweinhausburgna portalu polska-org.pl
References
Castles in Lower Silesian Voivodeship
Jawor County
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