Załęże Palace

The Palace in Załęże (Pałac w Załężu), also known as the Manor, is a neoclassical building at Gliwicka 159 in the Załęże district of Katowice. It was built in 1886-1887 on the site of an earlier, probably wooden, building, within the grounds of a former manor farm. Today it houses a private hospital, so it can be admired from the outside.

Seat of the Giesche company management

The manor farm in Załęże is thought to date back to the 16th century. The palace was built in 1886-1887 and originally housed the regional management of the Georg von Giesches Erben company. In 1905 the building was remodelled to a design by Georg and Emil Zillmann, and further alterations were carried out in 1924, 1925 and 1933. From 1887 the company’s general director Friedrich Bernhardi lived here, and in 1896 he directed the rescue operation at the “Cleophas” mine, later “Kleofas”, from this building. The management seat operated here until 1945.

The building and the park

The building has two storeys, a basement and an attic. Inside, a staircase with decorated balustrades and a large chandelier from the late 19th century have survived. The monument, built of brick, was entered in the heritage register in 1992, with a further entry in 2024. Next to the palace lies a park, divided by Gliwicka Street into two parts: the northern one by the manor, and the southern one, Fr J. Londzin Square, popularly known as Gruszka Plac (Pear Square).

After 1945

After the Second World War the building housed the Miners’ Outpatient Treatment Facility, and in the 1950s a nursery school. The palace has been renovated since 2007, and after the rooms were adapted in 2009 a private hospital began operating in it.

Practical information

• Address: Gliwicka 159, Katowice-Załęże. Nearby is the Załęże Dwór tram and bus stop.
• The palace can be viewed from the outside; the interiors serve as a medical facility and are not open to visitors.