Jelcz (Laskowice) – castle

History

   The initiator of the construction of a brick, defensive court near Jelcz around 1268 was the archbishop of Salzburg, Władysław. In the 14th century this court was extended by the Silesian dukes to the new castle complex. In 1508, it passed into the hands of the burgher of Wrocław, Konrad Sauermann, who again, this time in the renaissance style, rebuilt the castle. After the destruction in the era of the Thirty Years War, it lost its importance and over the years it gradually fell into disrepair.

Architecture

   The medieval princely court was a rectangular building with dimensions of 8,5×24,5 meters, built from bricks on foundations made of glacial erratic stones. The ground floor was made up of three rooms with a western chamber supported by a pillar. The layout of the first floor was probably similar, but later rebuilt. The court was ended at the corners with buttresses that supported the vaults. The original castle probably had also timber buildings, and the whole was surrounded by a defensive wall. The renaissance rebuilding led to the creation of a four-range complex with a inner courtyard, which was surrounded by arcaded galleries.

Current state

   Only the ruins of the ground floors of the castle have survived to this day. Admission to the castle area is free.

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bibliography:
Leksykon zamków w Polsce, red. L.Kajzer, Warszawa 2003.