Outer bailey
The Forecastle from Szprotawska Street.
Description and general view. Location, establishment, and origin.
We are at the entrance to the palace and park complex in Żagań. The first owner of the park and the residence he was creating was Duke Albrecht von Wallenstein from the year one thousand six hundred twenty-seven to one thousand six hundred thirty-four, who was also involved in the park and the construction of the palace, making it famous at that time. His park was wild and unchanged. Later, during the reign of the Lobkowitz family, we only have records of a beautiful park and employed gardeners. With the childless death of the last Lobkowitz in the year one thousand seven hundred eighty-six, the Duchy of Żagań passed into the possession of the Courland Duke Peter Biron. The Ducal Park in its current form was created between one thousand eight hundred forty-one and one thousand eight hundred fifty-nine, inspired by a vision and meeting with Duke Hermann von Pückler-Bad Muskau. Arranged and transformed by the Duchess of Żagań, Dorota Talleyrand-Périgord, after her numerous European voyages, and her court gardener Friedrich Teichert, mainly for the needs of the family. As early as one thousand eight hundred forty-one, land was purchased around the Church of the Holy Cross, and in one thousand eight hundred forty-five the leveling of the land was carried out under the northern wing of the palace. A new bridge was built on the western side, and on the southern side the lower screen wing facing the park and the Młynówka canal was demolished. Previously, a bridge on the western side was built by Duchess Wilhelmina of Żagań with the preserved coat of arms and the ducal miter from the year one thousand eight hundred three, which was later renovated.
Duchess Dorota, with great fervor and enthusiasm, transformed two hundred thirty hectares of the park on the bend of the Bóbr River with the help of one hundred fifty gardeners and many unemployed. The park was surrounded by a wall, the remains of which can still be seen today next to the Porter's Lodge. Major park works included filling up the old riverbed, digging the Carp Pond, and connecting it in the direction of the Royal Bridge located in the Upper Park, as a link of the route leading from the railway station through the Pheasantry and further Elizabeth Bridge to the palace. Prince Pückler wrote about the park in the year one thousand eight hundred forty-four: "If it continues as it is now, Żagań will in five years not only be magnificent but will really become very beautiful, more in a solemn style than romantic-picturesque, which in turn fits very well with the nature of the duchess."
In this spirit, in the year one thousand eight hundred forty-seven, a large driveway was arranged in front of the courtyard, similar to Muskau/Bad Muskau, to connect the palace with the park, river, and landscape. During the time of the court gardener Friedrich Gireoud, recommended to the Duchess by Lenné, further work was carried out in the park. Duchess Dorota's successor, Louis Napoleon, ordered Moritz Gottgetreu to lay a water installation and reclaim the park area to supply water to the fountains in the park. Especially to the rocky and cascading fountains in the Forecastle. Viewing points and picturesque corners were created throughout the complex as elements of the garden landscape, serving rest, relaxation, and spiritual contemplation. Each of these special places, giving a sense of peace, numerous birch and linden groves, or large old trees, such as oaks, plane trees, meadows, heaths, and bridges, were named often with stones with inscriptions on them. The names were related to commemorating members of the ducal family, friends, acquaintances of Duchess Dorota, or particularly important places from her stays in France or Germany.
The Żagań palace and park complex, being a unique object on a European scale, is a member of the Lusatian Parks Association, both on the Polish and German sides, currently serves recreational, cultural, representative, entertainment, relaxation, and educational functions. The architectural and historical values of the park and palace, emphad by masterful spatial planning in the shape of an elongated rectangle, with its unique exotic tree stand, accentuated by the natural landscape aspect that constitutes the flowing river Bóbr with the Młynówka canal, together create a whole perfectly matched and harmoniously complementing each other. Thus, the Bóbr River, which in the vicinity of the orangery divides into Młynówka, naturally divided the park complex into three parts: the Front Palace Garden, the Middle Park called the Pheasantry, and the Upper Park often called Kammerau.
The park from the north-front side was divided into quarters with lawns adorned with carpet flower beds and flower beds. Meanwhile, metal stairs adorned with pots with multicolored fuchsias facilitated communication between the square in front of the palace and the lower-lying garden area on the southeast side. Currently, metal stairs preserved on both sides of the eastern and western palaces lead to the park.
On the northwest side of the forecastle, there is an unusual fountain – the Stone Fountain a'la Baden-Baden - built in the year one thousand eight hundred seventy-five with a stone bowl placed on top with original pools, resembling a fountain in the German spa town of Baden-Baden in Baden-Württemberg. Water flows from the top over a stone stack. Made of one large boulder and many granite field stones, piled up in the shape of a cone, covered with a stone bowl. From this place in the year one thousand eight hundred eighty-three, a pipe was laid to supply water to the next newly built cascading fountain.
The Cascading Fountain.
When the water installation was laid, the first to operate was the cascading fountain - waterfall. Located in the northwest corner of the moat, made by the masonry master Julius Krause. The existing cascade in the moat served as the so-called "refreshment," and the water flowing down it was part of the arranged Alpine garden or alpinarium, the presence of which testified to the influence of naturalistic tendencies characteristic of garden art in the second half of the nineteenth century. Made of natural field stone and granite slabs.
Monuments of the Goddess Nike. Victories.
On the forecourt, from the northern side of the city and the former royal administration building, in front of the main entrance along with a geometric garden and rich flower beds, stand proudly two marble statues, crafted by Christian Daniel Rauch. They are replicas, repeatedly destroyed in the seventies, of the goddess of victory. Recreated by Tomasz Filar, a conservator and graduate of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. They were erected during the time of Louis Napoleon in the year one thousand eight hundred seventy-four and were a realization of the park's concept that came to life during Duchess Dorota's time.
Description and general view. Location, establishment, and origin.
We are at the entrance to the palace and park complex in Żagań. The first owner of the park and the residence he was creating was Duke Albrecht von Wallenstein from the year one thousand six hundred twenty-seven to one thousand six hundred thirty-four, who was also involved in the park and the construction of the palace, making it famous at that time. His park was wild and unchanged. Later, during the reign of the Lobkowitz family, we only have records of a beautiful park and employed gardeners. With the childless death of the last Lobkowitz in the year one thousand seven hundred eighty-six, the Duchy of Żagań passed into the possession of the Courland Duke Peter Biron. The Ducal Park in its current form was created between one thousand eight hundred forty-one and one thousand eight hundred fifty-nine, inspired by a vision and meeting with Duke Hermann von Pückler-Bad Muskau. Arranged and transformed by the Duchess of Żagań, Dorota Talleyrand-Périgord, after her numerous European voyages, and her court gardener Friedrich Teichert, mainly for the needs of the family. As early as one thousand eight hundred forty-one, land was purchased around the Church of the Holy Cross, and in one thousand eight hundred forty-five the leveling of the land was carried out under the northern wing of the palace. A new bridge was built on the western side, and on the southern side the lower screen wing facing the park and the Młynówka canal was demolished. Previously, a bridge on the western side was built by Duchess Wilhelmina of Żagań with the preserved coat of arms and the ducal miter from the year one thousand eight hundred three, which was later renovated.
Duchess Dorota, with great fervor and enthusiasm, transformed two hundred thirty hectares of the park on the bend of the Bóbr River with the help of one hundred fifty gardeners and many unemployed. The park was surrounded by a wall, the remains of which can still be seen today next to the Porter's Lodge. Major park works included filling up the old riverbed, digging the Carp Pond, and connecting it in the direction of the Royal Bridge located in the Upper Park, as a link of the route leading from the railway station through the Pheasantry and further Elizabeth Bridge to the palace. Prince Pückler wrote about the park in the year one thousand eight hundred forty-four: "If it continues as it is now, Żagań will in five years not only be magnificent but will really become very beautiful, more in a solemn style than romantic-picturesque, which in turn fits very well with the nature of the duchess."
In this spirit, in the year one thousand eight hundred forty-seven, a large driveway was arranged in front of the courtyard, similar to Muskau/Bad Muskau, to connect the palace with the park, river, and landscape. During the time of the court gardener Friedrich Gireoud, recommended to the Duchess by Lenné, further work was carried out in the park. Duchess Dorota's successor, Louis Napoleon, ordered Moritz Gottgetreu to lay a water installation and reclaim the park area to supply water to the fountains in the park. Especially to the rocky and cascading fountains in the Forecastle. Viewing points and picturesque corners were created throughout the complex as elements of the garden landscape, serving rest, relaxation, and spiritual contemplation. Each of these special places, giving a sense of peace, numerous birch and linden groves, or large old trees, such as oaks, plane trees, meadows, heaths, and bridges, were named often with stones with inscriptions on them. The names were related to commemorating members of the ducal family, friends, acquaintances of Duchess Dorota, or particularly important places from her stays in France or Germany.
The Żagań palace and park complex, being a unique object on a European scale, is a member of the Lusatian Parks Association, both on the Polish and German sides, currently serves recreational, cultural, representative, entertainment, relaxation, and educational functions. The architectural and historical values of the park and palace, emphad by masterful spatial planning in the shape of an elongated rectangle, with its unique exotic tree stand, accentuated by the natural landscape aspect that constitutes the flowing river Bóbr with the Młynówka canal, together create a whole perfectly matched and harmoniously complementing each other. Thus, the Bóbr River, which in the vicinity of the orangery divides into Młynówka, naturally divided the park complex into three parts: the Front Palace Garden, the Middle Park called the Pheasantry, and the Upper Park often called Kammerau.
The park from the north-front side was divided into quarters with lawns adorned with carpet flower beds and flower beds. Meanwhile, metal stairs adorned with pots with multicolored fuchsias facilitated communication between the square in front of the palace and the lower-lying garden area on the southeast side. Currently, metal stairs preserved on both sides of the eastern and western palaces lead to the park.
On the northwest side of the forecastle, there is an unusual fountain – the Stone Fountain a'la Baden-Baden - built in the year one thousand eight hundred seventy-five with a stone bowl placed on top with original pools, resembling a fountain in the German spa town of Baden-Baden in Baden-Württemberg. Water flows from the top over a stone stack. Made of one large boulder and many granite field stones, piled up in the shape of a cone, covered with a stone bowl. From this place in the year one thousand eight hundred eighty-three, a pipe was laid to supply water to the next newly built cascading fountain.
The Cascading Fountain.
When the water installation was laid, the first to operate was the cascading fountain - waterfall. Located in the northwest corner of the moat, made by the masonry master Julius Krause. The existing cascade in the moat served as the so-called "refreshment," and the water flowing down it was part of the arranged Alpine garden or alpinarium, the presence of which testified to the influence of naturalistic tendencies characteristic of garden art in the second half of the nineteenth century. Made of natural field stone and granite slabs.
Monuments of the Goddess Nike. Victories.
On the forecourt, from the northern side of the city and the former royal administration building, in front of the main entrance along with a geometric garden and rich flower beds, stand proudly two marble statues, crafted by Christian Daniel Rauch. They are replicas, repeatedly destroyed in the seventies, of the goddess of victory. Recreated by Tomasz Filar, a conservator and graduate of Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. They were erected during the time of Louis Napoleon in the year one thousand eight hundred seventy-four and were a realization of the park's concept that came to life during Duchess Dorota's time.