The Joachimsthal moated castle is somewhat hidden. Coming over the Neisse Bridge from Hagenwerder and driving towards Radomierzyce, it is immediately to the right after the bridge. So far the area has been secured with barbed wire and barriers. It is signposted as private property. During my visit today I was able to drive/walk completely around the castle. It was worth it, recommended.
The secular and aristocratic Protestant Joachimstein Monastery in Radmeritz was once considered the most beautiful castle in Upper Lusatia. It is located near Radomierzyce in Poland, directly adjacent to the Hagenwerder border crossing. It was founded as a nunnery on an artificial island at the confluence of the Witka and Neisse rivers.
This palace could be a unique attraction in Poland. It was once visited by European governments (from Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland and Saxony, through Frederick II the Great, King of Prussia, to Paul von Hindenburg, President of the Weimar Republic). The palace complex is situated on the water, and the palace itself has 12 chimneys, 52 large doors, and 365 windows. After the death of the palace's last owner in 2003, renovation work on the building, which had been in ruins since the 2nd century, practically ceased, and today, viewing the palace complex from the outside is the only way to experience this architectural gem. During World War II, the Nazis resided here. In 1944, they built an armored room – a vault for the documents of the Reich Main Security Office. After the war, Polish soldiers under the command of Piotr Jaroszewicz (later Prime Minister of the Polish People's Republic) arrived at the palace. Jaroszewicz discovered armored rooms containing secret Third Reich files. These contained, among other things, information about important figures collaborating with Nazi Germany.
The case had a tragic ending. In 1992, Jaroszewicz and his wife were brutally murdered. He was tortured before his death, and she was shot. The Prime Minister's feet were nailed to the floor and tied, leaving only his right hand free – hence the presumption that he was forced to sign some documents. Nothing was stolen from his villa – only his office was ransacked, as if the murderers were searching for documents. The latest findings link the case to the files from Radomierzyce. Significantly, other people who visited the palace in 1945 were also murdered – Jaroszewicz's associates, Tadeusz Steć and Jerzy Fonkowicz. Steć was also tortured.
It's also worth mentioning what happened to the palace after the war. Of course, it was plundered, a fact contributed to by the Turów mine. Historic sculptures were taken from there to a recreation center for mine workers. Stone lion statues were placed near the Bogatynia reservoir, from where they disappeared, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Translated by Google •
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