Siewierz Bishops' Castle

The Bishops' Castle in Siewierz is a largely preserved permanent ruin of four three-storey wings around a rectangular courtyard, with a five-storey tower that changes from a square to an octagon. For more than three hundred years it was the residence of the bishops of Kraków, who ruled the Duchy of Siewierz.

From stronghold to bishops' residence

The castle grew out of a ramparted stronghold of the 13th century, and the town of Siewierz received its town charter around 1276. At the end of the 13th century the first masonry element was built, a cylindrical keep 9 metres in diameter. In 1337-1358 the castle was extended by Duke Casimir I of Cieszyn, and in 1443 the Duchy of Siewierz was bought by the Bishop of Kraków, Zbigniew Oleśnicki. From then on the castle was a residence of the bishops of Kraków.

Rebuilding in the bishops' time

At the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries the castle was extended. In 1471-1488 Bishop Jan Rzeszowski built a new gate on the north side, and in 1518 Bishop Jan Konarski erected the tower. In 1524-1530 Bishop Piotr Tomicki had the Gothic keep pulled down and new wings built from its material. From that time survive Renaissance stone window frames and a loggia with stone columns in the courtyard. In 1575 Bishop Franciszek Krasiński strengthened the castle and adapted it for firearms.

In 1681-1699 the castle was rebuilt in the Baroque style on the initiative of Bishop Jan Małachowski, and the work was completed by Konstanty Felicjan Szaniawski. The tower was then crowned with a Baroque helmet with an onion dome and a lantern.

Decline and rescue of the ruin

The Duchy of Siewierz was abolished in 1790 by the Great Sejm, and the castle began to fall into ruin. After 1807 no one lived here any more, and later it housed a textile workshop before the castle fell into complete disrepair.

In the 1950s and 1970s the castle was secured, and in the 1970s a fragment of the ground floor of the east wing was reconstructed. Since 1999 work has been carried out with a view to preserving the castle as a permanent ruin. The northern gate with a drawbridge and a bastion has also been reconstructed.

In Siewierz and the surrounding area

In the same town is the Chamber of Tradition and Old Culture in Siewierz, and a walk can be combined with a visit to the brine graduation tower.

Practical information

• Place: Siewierz, Będzin County.
• The site is entered in the heritage register.
• None of the sources checked gives the visiting hours or the rules of entry, so check them at the town office in Siewierz before you travel.