This village contains many fascinating traces of history. One of them is the residential building no. 50, which now houses the agritourism farm Dom pod Sową. Although there are many such farms in our region, this one deserves particular attention. For several reasons.
First, Dom pod Sową is a building dated to 1825. Thus, it will soon be celebrating its two-hundredth birthday. As a primary-school pupil, I used to cycle to Nawojów, and as long as I can remember, this building was in ruins. No one even expected it to regain its former charm. Today, it has been largely renovated, but it still retains its unique atmosphere.
The renovation of the house lasted several years and began in 2004. It was made possible, among other things, by European funds.
As I mentioned, the house was completely ruined. The only element completed at the last moment was the roof. However, its renovation resulted in the loss of the original roof-truss arrangement. The current owners had to show great imagination when renovating and recreating the individual rooms and furnishings. An old photograph has survived showing the restaurant room (common room), which, now renovated, remains the largest room in the house. Poor-quality copies of postcards found online show the building’s body with a half-hipped roof featuring ox-eye dormers.
This form could be recreated when the roof covering is next replaced. Meanwhile, on the ground floor, in the hall ceiling, one can admire cross vaults.
The unique atmosphere has nevertheless been successfully recreated. The spacious rooms are decorated with wooden beams characteristic of Prussian construction from that period. Old furniture adds charm. Although it does not come from this house, it has been beautifully restored and perfectly complements the spacious interiors.
The renovation of Dom pod Sową was not an easy undertaking. Only one construction crew was willing to take it on. The house was in a terrible condition, and restoring an appearance similar to the original required enormous imagination. Above all, this was necessary to avoid destroying the interesting architectural solutions during the renovation and restoration.
What surprised the owners during the renovation? The most interesting find was the mummified remains of a ram hidden... in the ceiling. The hosts were astonished by such an unusual discovery. A ram in the floor. But why? The most rational explanation is that the already slaughtered animal was hidden from looters—whether Soviets or Poles. In their haste, someone concealed the ram beneath the attic floor, and it is quite possible that they soon afterwards left for Germany, abandoning their treasure.
As for the history of Dom pod Sową, it was built after the eastern part of Upper Lusatia, following the Congress of Vienna, had been incorporated into the Prussian Province of Silesia. Previously, this area, together with Zgorzelec (then the single city of Goerlitz), Lubań, Nawojów Łużycki and Ołdrzychów, belonged to Saxony. The Kwisa formed the border between Prussia and Saxony, as well as the historical boundary between Silesia and Lusatia. In fact, Lower Silesia does not end at the Lusatian Neisse, but at the Kwisa. This is why the names Nawojów Śląski and Nawojów Łużycki exist. Local monuments can provide evidence of Lusatia’s and Silesia’s state affiliations. One such monument is the Saxon postal milestone located in former Ołdrzychów. When a mail coach passed the milestone, the postal workers knew that they were approaching the Saxon border between Ołdrzychów and Nowogrodziec.
Meanwhile, on a stone signpost found among the bushes beside the road to Gierałtów, one can read the carved inscription Sächsisch Haugsdorf (Nawojów Łużycki), and the first part of the German name tells us that this was a Saxon village. Nawojów Śląski, or the former Schlesisch Haugsdorf, was already a Silesian settlement.
Nawojów Śląski also witnessed the march of Prussian hussars. This episode took place during the Silesian Wars and was connected with the Battle of Henryków Lubański, fought between the Prussians and the Saxons on 23 November 1745. It was at the level of Ołdrzychów and Nawojów that the Prussian army crossed the border river Kwisa and defeated the surprised Saxons.
The Battle of Henryków Lubański resulted from the carelessness of the Saxon commander Prince von Sachen – Gotha. His great mistake was failing to send reconnaissance patrols to the Nawojów Łużycki area. It was precisely here that the 30,000-strong Prussian army was brought across. When Prussian scouts reached the vicinity of Henryków, they realized that the Saxons, positioned in the centre of the village, were completely unprepared for battle. At that time, Henryków was home to 8,000 Saxon soldiers: four regiments under the command of Prince Sachen – Gotha and General Buchner. The Prussian army lost 7 officers and 110 soldiers in the battle, while the Saxon losses were much greater. Nine hundred soldiers were taken prisoner, and several hundred died in combat. Prince von Sachen – Gotha managed to escape1.
In the 1920s, a memorial boulder was erected on the road from Henryków to Godzieszów in honour of the commander-in-chief of the Prussian army, General Hansa Joahima von Ziethena, and in memory of the November battle of 1745. Interestingly, the German name of Henryków was later changed from the original Katholisch Hennersdorf to Ziethen Hennersdorf in tribute to General Ziethen.
It is also worth mentioning the main cause of the Silesian Wars, fought in 1740–1742, 1744–1745 and 1756–1763. The conflict over Silesia’s affiliation was fought between Habsburg Austria and Prussia. The Electorate of Saxony, to which Lusatia had belonged since 1635, manoeuvred between Prussia and Austria. In the First Silesian War, Saxony supported Prussia, while in the Second it became an ally of the Austrian Empire. Why? The Saxon elector and King of Poland, Frederick Augustus II (Augustus III the Saxon), also wanted to unite Saxony and Poland territorially by acquiring lands at Prussia’s expense. Unfortunately, the cunning plan failed. After the Battle of Henryków Lubański and, later, another defeat at Kesselsdorf, defeated Saxony made peace with Prussia.
Lusatia, including Henryków Lubański, was plundered by Prussian troops, and the economy declined.
Thus, the Lusatian–Silesian borderland, with Nawojów in the background, witnessed historic struggles between European powers, and the Prussian king Frederick II the Great himself came to Henryków Lubański to spend the night. His visit saved the vicarage where he stayed, as well as the nearby church, from being plundered by his soldiers.
Before the war, Dom pod Sową belonged to a German named Hoffman. Once, there was an inn here called Zagroda Pasterska. The Hoffman name appears several more times in the history of nearby villages. In Nawojów Łużycki, a certain Hoffman owned a shop, and residents bearing this surname are also buried in the local cemetery. The only difference between the Silesian and Lusatian Hoffmans is the spelling of their surnames—one “f” and a double “n”.
As for Nawojów’s former residents, they return to their family homeland from time to time. They fondly recall the old days and their youth. A letter written by a former resident of Dom pod Sową to the property’s current owners is particularly noteworthy. Here is its extraordinary content:
Dear Madam,
We are home again now, and I still often think about the moment when I stood in front of your house, where I lived for two years 65 years ago, and did not even know whether it was that very house. You were very kind to me and my husband, and I thank you very sincerely for that. I was very confused and overcome with emotion. Today I know that my memories did not deceive me. I found documents showing that my mother moved from Nawojów Śląski, number 50, to Duisburg in 1936.
In my mother’s family chronicle I found the following:
A certain Johann Carl Gottlieb lived around 1825. His son Carl Gottlieb was born sometime around then. They lived together in Nawojów, as did his son, who was born in 1856. As a child, my mother lived there with her parents: Emil Hoffman and Klara (a farmer and restaurant owner).
During the war, my mother lived for a short time with her three children at her parents’ home in Nawojów. (My brother was born there.) We all fortunately survived the escape safely.
I have only a few photographs of people from those years. The photograph I am sending you appears to have been taken in the house’s restaurant room (common room).
I am glad that you are renovating the house. It is certainly the task of a lifetime. I wish you success in this undertaking and send my warmest regards.
Unfortunately, tragic events also took place in the village. Just after the end of the Second World War, a young German woman was murdered in Nawojów Śląski. Her killers were Polish pioneers, as the new residents of the Recovered Territories were then called. The Poles thought that the girl’s father, who managed one of the estates, had hidden money and valuables somewhere. They tried to pressure him by imprisoning his daughter, whom they later raped and murdered. The man probably did not possess any valuables, but no one believed him. This crime was never brought to trial.
Dom pod Sową is now a place where visitors can stay, just as they once could at the former inn. Various guests come here. Tourists often use Nawojów Śląski as a base for trips to the Jizera Mountains, the Karkonosze, Czocha Castle, Kliczków or Grodziec. A corkboard hanging in the kitchen is covered with various leaflets and brochures. Tourists leave them there for subsequent guests, sharing information about places worth visiting. In this way, they encourage travel around Lower Silesia.
Dom pod Sową also welcomes pilgrims. They follow the Way of St James to the sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela. Horse-riding enthusiasts from Germany and Benelux come here, as do Czech canoeing enthusiasts. There are also guests who value peace, quiet and relaxation in the countryside.
In the past, the inn had a slaughterhouse and smokehouse at the back, providing food supplies. A bakery stood three houses away. Today, as befits an agritourism farm, one can find goats, sheep and chickens here. Rye bread is baked using real sourdough, and visitors can also taste goat’s milk and cheese. Dom pod Sową provides various delicacies and, above all, preserves regional traditions in this way.
This is very important. One after another, our Lower Silesian monuments are disappearing, falling into ruin and oblivion. The castle in Gościszów is an excellent example: it survived many historical upheavals but could not withstand neglect. After the war, although it could have been rebuilt, no one undertook the task. There were other, more pressing matters. Fortunately, this tragic fate did not befall the inn in Nawojów Śląski.
Finally, a few words about the name of the former inn. Why Dom pod Sową? Before the renovation, an owl lived in the derelict building. Unfortunately, the renovation scared it away, but it did not leave the area for good. It settled somewhere nearby. Sometimes it can be heard not far from its former home. Perhaps this very owl stands guard over the memory of this wonderful place and its inhabitants.
Paweł Skiersinis
The author is a blogger and history enthusiast, particularly interested in the history of Lower Silesia and Poland. Why Lower Silesia? As he puts it: “Why not? The most interesting history is the history around us, concerning us and our ancestors.”
He adds: “I try to present history from a different perspective, in an interesting way, not in the typically textbook style, full of dry dates and facts. My articles concern facts that we will not find in textbooks or well-known publications. The history of Lower Silesia is undoubtedly interesting and fascinating, so it is worth devoting at least a brief moment to it from time to time.”
1 P. Berkel, History of the Town of Lubań, Wrocław 1992, p. 110.