Sielecki Castle

Sielecki Castle (Zamek Sielecki) stands on the left bank of the Czarna Przemsza, in the Sielec district of Sosnowiec, and is the oldest building in the town. Today it houses the Sosnowiec Art Centre, which holds exhibitions and festivals devoted to photography and the artist’s book.

Where the building came from

The earliest mention of a defensive structure in Sielec dates from 1403, and of a fortified manor from 1430. The 15th century is in fact only the probable beginning of the castle, because its history is not fully known: it was formerly thought to have been built only in 1620, but archaeological research and archival searches have pushed its origins back. In 1620 Sebastian Minor of the Półkozic coat of arms completed a new building on a quadrangular plan with a courtyard in the middle. This is commemorated by a plaque preserved in the chapel.

After the Minors, Sielec was ruled by successive owners, and in 1814 the castle was bought by the Prince of Pless, Ludwig Anhalt-Coethen von Pless. In 1824 the building burned down. Rebuilding to plans by Józef Heintz was completed in 1832, and in the process the east wing with the entrance gate was demolished and the moats were filled in. Hence today’s shape: a three-winged building on a horseshoe plan with an open courtyard.

What the castle looks like

The castle has kept the defensive character of its mass: it has four corner towers and projections extending the side wings. It was built of rough limestone and brick, and has an upper storey and a basement. The tower roofs are tent-shaped and the other roofs are gabled.

In the north wing, on the first floor, is the former chapel with a barrel vault with lunettes and geometric stucco decoration. Its roof is crowned by a bulbous turret with an octagonal lantern. In 2015, in a further stage of conservation work, the polychromes in the north tower were conserved, and archaeological trenches were exposed under the tower floor.

From office building to art centre

In 1856 the castle was bought by Count Andrzej Renard for his son Jan. It later belonged to the “Hrabia Renard” mining company and until the Second World War served as an office building. After 1945 it housed the administration of the “Sosnowiec” mine, and from 1980 the Central Reference Collection of Contemporary Glass, from which the Museum of Contemporary Glass grew in 1982.

In 1995, because of the very poor condition of the building, the castle was closed. In 1999 the City Council decided on a renovation combined with archaeological research, and the work was completed in 2002. In the same year a municipal institution was established, today the Sosnowiec Art Centre - Sielecki Castle.

What goes on here

The centre runs several exhibition spaces: the Extravagance Gallery, the Parter Gallery and the MF Gallery. The institution’s website also lists the Paper Photo Festival, an international festival based in the castle, and the Photobook Reading Room. There are also workshops, lectures and an educational offer. The current programme is on the website zameksielecki.pl.

After your visit you can walk to the nearby Dietel Park, and learn more about local history at the Museum in Sosnowiec. Further on, in Będzin, stands Będzin Castle.

Practical information

• Address: Zamkowa 2, 41-211 Sosnowiec, Sielec district.
• Check the current opening hours on zameksielecki.pl before your visit.
• Parking: in front of the entrance there are two places for guests, one for people with disabilities and two electric vehicle charging points. A few dozen metres further on, in front of the former Winter Stadium, there is a large car park. Parking around the castle is free of charge.
• The castle is entered in the heritage register. The range of interiors available depends on the current exhibitions.