Wybrańcy Gate in Pszczyna

The Wybrańcy Gate (Brama Wybrańców) is the oldest part of the castle complex in Pszczyna preserved in an unchanged form. It stands in the south-western part of the Market Square and for centuries was the main entrance to the castle grounds. It is also sometimes called the Guardhouse (Warta).

Origin of the name and who built it

The building was erected in 1687 by the builder Consilio Milius for Balthasar Promnitz, then owner of the castle. It replaced a 15th-century guardhouse with a drawbridge over the moat. The Promnitz family chose the guard from among subjects from their own estates, and these guards were called wybrańcy (the chosen). The name of the gate comes from them. The Wybrańcy guarded the castle until 1875.

What it looks like

It is a single-storey plastered brick building, with a three-pitched tiled roof and a seven-bay façade. The central passage has a barrel-and-groin vault and a rusticated stone portal with a semicircular head. Above the portal, in a gable with pilasters, are two stone heraldic plaques: those of Balthasar Erdmann von Promnitz and Emilia Agnes of Saxony. A Latin inscription with a chronogram gives the date of construction, 1687. On the south side a broken wing joins the gate to an outbuilding and a round tower under a tent roof. Inside, among other things, a room with a barrel vault with lunettes and a room with a ceiling on a profiled beam with rosettes have survived.

In the past the castle was surrounded by a moat, across which led a stone arched footbridge. Along the moat by the gate stood a brewery, a malthouse and a bakery, pulled down in the 19th century.

What it was used for

Originally it housed the quarters of the castle guard. Later the building housed, among other things, a café and a tourist information point. The site is entered in the heritage register; the first entry dates from 1932, and the present one from 1966.

Nearby

The gate stands right by Pszczyna Castle, and about a hundred metres away rises the All Saints' Church.

Practical information

• Address: Brama Wybrańców, Pszczyna, at the south-western corner of the Market Square.
• It is best viewed from the outside on a walk to the castle; the use of the interiors changes, so check it before your visit.