In 1945, the palace was used by Soviet troops as quarters for soldiers, and in the first post-war years it provided shelter for the families of repatriates who had arrived in the area.
During the Polish People’s Republic, it was inhabited by people working at the state farm. In the 1990s, it fell into ruin, but today—thanks to the great commitment of its new owners—it delights visitors with precisely reconstructed interiors and a well-maintained park.
The few surviving archival materials tell us that a palace was built on the site of an old castle in 1729, and that the mansard roof was covered with tiles in 1837. In 1854, the palace was rebuilt by Fryderyk Magnus von Schlieffen, acquiring its present form. At the end of the 19th century, the palace estate covered 279 hectares, generating considerable income for its owners.
Until 1945, it belonged to the von Reuss family, who were forced to leave their estate as a result of the war. One of the last attempts to save the palace from the approaching front was made by the fleeing residents, who left barrels of alcohol for the advancing soldiers. The cheerful mood probably induced by intoxication saved the buildings from destruction. Unfortunately, the original furnishings of the property have not survived to the present day.
Today, the palace serves residential and commercial purposes. Its interiors include a music room, a columned room and a billiard room, an impressive staircase, and old documents concerning the history of the palace estate, framed and displayed. Around the palace, visitors can relax in the picturesque park.
Today, the palace is one of the symbols of Kruszyn and fascinates visiting tourists.
Sebastian Zielonka – historian and graduate of the University of Wrocław. Specialization: archival science and conservation documentation. He is interested in the history of the region and the social life of Europeans in the 20th century. In his free time, he travels.