The oldest mention of the castle, built on a rocky promontory of a high hill, dates back to the year 1300 and speaks of the castellan Albert Bawarczyk of Waltersdorf. Its characteristic feature was the tower with a spire, which, along with the older Dziobowa Tower of the Bolko Castle, are the only structures of this type in Poland. The edge is oriented towards the east, from the side of the gently sloping hill. It consisted of two floors and two basement levels, partly carved into the rock. The residential value of the building is indicated by the presence of the so-called “warm room” on the upper floor, which was lined with wooden beams from the inside. From the west, the tower was surrounded by a stone perimeter wall, and from the east, a three-story residential complex was added to it in an L-shaped plan. It contained two large halls, with one of them being considered the main representative room – the knight’s hall.
The name “Niesytno” itself refers to the legendary outlaw Niemir, which could have cast a kind of curse on the castle since it often became a nest and hideout for bandits throughout its history. One of the most famous of these bandits was Hans von Tschirn, a veteran of the Battle of Grunwald, who ruled the castle from 1432 to 1455. Despite his participation on the Teutonic Knights’ side in the Battle of Grunwald, during the Hussite Wars, he allied with the Czechs, but limited his support to raiding and plundering the surrounding areas. His end came when he dared to attack a wine convoy for Gunczel of Świny, known for his love of this drink. The lord from the Świnków family did not take the insult lying down; he captured Niesyto and killed the raubittier. From 1468 onwards, the castle passed into the hands of the von Zedlitz family, and Płonina remained in the Nimmersath line until 1661. In the mid-16th century, Jocon von Zedlitz built a grand Renaissance palace in the vicinity of the Gothic building, relocating his residence there, while the castle itself served auxiliary functions, among others as a grain storage facility.
In the 19th century, a more extensive renovation took place when the new owner, Military Prosecutor David Konrad von Graeve, renovated the palace, added a wing, and a clock tower. Another of Niesytno’s owners, Count Julius von Bulow, decorated the facades, built a gatehouse, surrounded the lower courtyard with a wall, and carried out a thorough renovation of the medieval buildings.
During World War II, it housed a residential center for racially pure German girls, and later Luftwaffe officers were stationed there. After the war, the castle was repurposed as a children’s summer camp facility. Later, the Lublin FSC became its owner, and they attempted to renovate the historic monument; however, they later abandoned this plan. In 1984, the palace passed into private hands. The year 1992 turned out to be tragic when, on July 2nd, the castle mysteriously burned down under circumstances that remain unexplained to this day. Since 2012, the reconstruction of the castle has been underway. Currently, the property is privately owned.
Prepared by: Krzysztof Kędroń. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
