Roundel bastion fortifications of Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie

Marek Bogdała, Anna Chodkowska

doi:10.37190/arc210404

Abstract

The article presents the roundel bastion fortifications of Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie in detail. It also describes subsequent stages of their extensions, including the previously unknown phase of fortifications of the outer bailey (the so-called middle castle), dated to around 1500, when a fence with two cylindrical towers, the first gatehouse, and a stable building were built. The largest transformations were connected with the construction activity of the von Logau family, which in 1547 came into possession of the castle and made its renaissance reconstruction as well as its extension by the lower part of the outer bailey. Other significant changes took place in the 19th century when the castle was saved from complete demolition and adapted for visiting by tourists. These actions influenced, inter alia, the appearance of its fortifications and surroundings. The text presents the stages of the roundel bastion perimeter construction. There are also references to the traces of its non-existent elements. Building material such as brick formats and the type of mortar were observed. In the course of analyses, technologies of terrestrial and aerial photogrammetry were used, which made it possible to develop virtual models of the researched objects. On the basis of the data obtained from laser aerialscanning, a visualization of the terrain model around the castle was developed. Thanks to digital models, information, which was hardly legible during architectural research using traditional methods, was obtained. The authors express the need for further studies, in particular archaeological ones, which would allow discovering these relics of the castle which are still hidden.

Keywords:
roundel-bastion
fence
defensive-wall
embrasure
grodno

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2021

4(68)

DOI: 10.37190/arc210404

Marek Bogdała*, Anna Chodkowska**

Roundel bastion fortifications of Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie

Introduction

The article aims at presenting fortications of the home-

steads at the foot of Grodno Castle – middle and lower,

zwinger and objects outside the present line of walls. To

a large extent, it will be a description of roundel bastion

fortications which were adapted to the use of rearms as

well as the connections between the structure, form, and

matter of the preserved relics with the earlier and later

defensive layouts of this mountainous stronghold.

The castle, which is located on the border of the Walden -

burg and Sowie (Owl) Mountains, rises on the longi-

tudinal ridge of Mount Choina, at an altitude of 450 m

above sea level and about 100 m above Bystrzyckie Lake.

The topographical relief forced an elongated plan of the

structure. The highest part of the rock was occupied by

the oldest part – the upper castle. The gradual extension of

the building and the transformation of the top of the hill

resulted in the construction of subsequent perimeters of

walls, i.e., the middle castle, zwinger and the lower castle.

The creation of a complete roundel bastion circuit

around Grodno Castle (Fig. 1) should be attributed to the

von Logau family and the building works they carried out

[3]. The construction of early modern fortications was

divided into three stages. The rst one was connected with

the takeover of the castle by Mathias von Logau in 1547.

At that time, the older fence with two cylindrical towers

was made higher (No. 1 and 2). The low stone defensive

wall stretched between them was raised and modernized in

accordance with early modern standards. The second stage

of extension began under Georg von Logau in 1568. Then,

another section of the medieval wall, which ran from tower

No. 2 to the east, was adapted. Two new roundel bastions

and walls closing the outer bailey on the eastern side were

built. In the third and last stage of the castle extension, the

outer bailey was enlarged by the lower part, also enclosed

in a roundel bastion wall equipped with ve shells. The

collapse of Georg von Logau’s property in 1595 brought

an end to the works on the castle. The subsequent constant

changes of owners did not contribute to the good condition

of the building which gradually began to fall into ruin.

After the 16

-century extensions, there was a period

of stagnation. It was interrupted in the 19

century by Jo -

hann Gustav Büsching who purchased the castle on Sep-

tember 18, 1823, and then began its renovation and re-

mod eling in the spirit of the 19

-century Romanticism

[4]. From 1840 his work was continued by Friedrich von

Burghaus [3]. Among other things, roundel bastions of the

lower castle were remodeled and “enriched”. He estab-

lished new gardens and terraces along with walking paths

around the castle, which also changed the topographical

relief around the stronghold.

The research into the history of the castle has been con-

ducted since the 19

century. It was initiated by August

Zem plin [5] and then continued by Heinrich Schubert [3],

Robert Weber [6], and Viktor Schaetzke [7]. They described

the history of the castle’s rulers and, to a small ex tent,

transformations which were connected with the construc-

tion of the roundel bastion circuit. After World War II,

ar-

chitectural research was carried out by Jerzy Roz pę

dowski

[1]. He described the entire castle along with reconstruc-

tion drawings of the whole perimeter of walls. The latest

discoveries outside the area of the upper castle resulted

from archaeological research which was conducted by

Paweł Konczewski and Radosław Biel in 2017. They dis-

covered relics of a previously unmarked wall within the

zwinger [2]. The last architectural research was carried out

by Małgorzata Chorowska, Agnieszka Gryglewska, Anna

Chodkowska and Marek Bogdała in the years 2018–2021.

* ORCID: 0000-0002-9596-9695. Faculty of Architecture, Wro-

cław University of Science and Technology, e-mail: marek.bogdala@

pwr.edu.pl

** ORCID: 0000-0003-1479-4887. Castellum Sp. z o.o. Przedsię-

biorstwo budowlano-konserwatorskie, Wrocław.

40 Marek Bogdała, Anna Chodkowska

Middle outer bailey and the 1

phase

of the 16

-century transformations in the times

of Matthias von Logau in the years 1547–1567

The area adjacent to the gate of the upper castle, due

to the topographical relief and transportation system, was

a natural place for the extension of the stronghold. It was

also the place where the fortied outer bailey along with

a stable were located and is now called the castle or the

middle outer bailey. According to Rozpędowski, its peri -

meter consisted of a long foregate which was ended with

a protruding tower, similar to the solutions found in Bolków

and Chojnik castles, as well as the necks of city gates and

the perimeter wall with two semi-cylindrical shell roundel

bastions (No. 1 and 2). A stable adjoined the south-west-

ern section of the wall [1]. The foregate underwent later

transformations and now at that place there is a brick, high

stone ramp and a later, neo-Gothic castle chapel. In the

earlier days, the rst external gatehouse was situated here.

These buildings as well as the wall connecting the fore-

gate with tower No. 1 have not survived. At present, its

course can be reconstructed on the basis of the direction

of the buttress of the entrance ramp and the shape of tow-

er No. 1. The north-western section of the wall with two

shells (No. 1 and 2) has survived until today.

In order to verify the dating of the existing section of

the defensive wall in the fall of 2020, its detailed invento-

ry and architectural reconnaissance in terms of workshop

and building material were carried out

. The outer sec-

tion of the wall between towers Nos. 1 and No. 2 as well

as the fragment of wall accessible from the inside were

measured. The method of ground and aerial photogram-

metry was applied with the use of an unmanned quadro-

copter, the small dimensions of which made it possible

to conduct research in the wooded space surrounding the

wall. From the inside, measurements were made under

the roof of a modern shelter. On the basis of the prepared

Carried out by M. Chorowska, A. Gryglewska, A. Chodkowska,

M. Bogdała.

two-dimensional images, a digital model of three-dimen-

sional surfaces was developed in a computer environment,

which was then scaled and oriented on the basis of metric

eld measurements. Using the achieved data of the grids,

ortho-photographic views of the researched planes were

obtained. Data processed in this way was synthesized and

presented graphically (Fig. 2).

Applying the above measurements, it was determined

that the researched fragment of fortications, including

both towers, is about 26 m long, of which the curtain of

the wall is about 16 m. The height of the preserved relics,

from the outside, ranges from 6 to 8.5 m, but tower No. 2

is about 1.5 m higher than remaining part. The area inside

the perimeter is approximately 1 m above the level of the

outer side. This disproportion increases to the north along

with the change in the slope of the ground. The measured

thickness of the walls of towers ranges from 1.7 to 2.3 m

and the section between the towers is 1.5 m to 1.2 m thick.

This is connected with the fact that the walls of all build-

ings have osets from the outside side, i.e. two for tower

No. 1 and the wall curtain, and three in the case of tower

No. 2. The crown of the fortications is not preserved and

the vegetation overgrowing it leads to the degradation of

the historic tissue.

Initial analyses of the external face of the wall showed

its homogeneous structure made of broken stone. In the

higher parts of the northern tower, the rock material was

smaller. In the case of the curtain, there were some frag-

ments lled with brick crumb and clearly visible brick-

work around arrowslits made of bright and slightly burnt

brick. Moreover, especially in the opening located on the

upper storey, there were single, lower and more oblong

bricks with a dark cherry color. Moreover, especially in

the opening located on the upper storey, there were single,

lower, and more longitudinal bricks with a dark cherry

color

. From the inside, the wall structure is not uniform.

It was the 19

-century brick, used by Büsching to repair the up-

per castle, as discussed in this volume in the article by M. Chorowska

and later in this article.

Fig. 1. Plan of Grodno Castle – present condition. Roundel bastions were marked with numbers from 1 to 9

(elaborated by M. Bogdała, A. Gryglewska on the basis of J. Rozpędowski [1], R. Biel [2])

Il. 1. Plan zamku Grodno – stan obecny. Bastiony okrągłe oznaczono numerami od 1 do 9

(oprac. M. Bogdała, A. Gryglewska na podstawie J. Rozpędowski [1], R. Biel [2])

 RoundelbastionfortificationsofGrodnoCastleinZagórzeŚląskie 41

Dierentiation of the mortar in terms of color and gram-

mage was observed. Areas of variable sizes of stones as

well as brick llings were found. Apart from vaults of the

arrowslits, light brick appears in the form of fragments

bound with a layer of scratch coat in the lower parts of

the wall. The traces of the scratch coat are arranged in

alternating elds at a height of about 1.60–1.80 m above

the ground level. In these places, there is a visible change

in the way the wall is lled, including smaller fractions of

stone and brick llings. These are llings with dimensions

of about 20 × 35 cm on the degraded nests for the platform

beams, which used to be serve defenders to support lower

arrowslits. These nests were formed in the older wall and

when they were no longer needed, they were bricked up.

Above the zone of the lower row of windows, there are

openings with dimensions of 12 × 12 to 14 × 14 cm. They

almost occupy the whole thickness of wall, only from the

outside are they secured with brickwork. They can be con-

nected both with the platform for the higher embrasure

and with the roof necessary to protect rearms from get-

ting damp, or they are simply putlog holes.

In the wall there are embrasures which are faced with

light brick, now partially destroyed, and splayed from the

inside to the dimensions of 80–90 cm wide and 70–80 cm

high, measured in the key of the vaults. The openings nar-

row to vertical slots and in the external face they are about

10–15 cm wide and from 51 to 68 cm high. The embras ures

were situated on two levels. The lower one, with four open-

ings, is located at a height of 2.60 m above the ground l evel,

i.e., about 0.7 m above the previously described traces of

the platform nests. The upper level contains one window

at a height of 3.85 m. We cannot fail to mention the char-

acteristic shape of the arrowslits. They are direction ally

proled in the vertical and horizontal planes. The bevel-

ing was formed in successive windows alternately in the

northern or southern direction, and the upper embrasure

is perpendicular. The angle between the face of the wall

and the axis of the openings ranges from 81° to 43°. Such

a sharp angle is justied by the protection of a fragment of

the foreground with the road leading to the castle. Similar-

ly, the inclination of windowsills – it is visible only in the

lower strip of openings and is around 20°. One more hole

deserves attention. It is situated in the wall of the northern

tower. Once open and directed towards the inside of the

tower with its eld of re, it is now walled up with large

bright brick similar to the one from which it was built.

Computer-developed models of the wall surface made

it possible to analyze the object without texture, but with

the use of methods of variable and virtual illumination of

the model. This made it easier to highlight irregularities

which are invisible to the naked eye. These observations

were of particular signicance in relation to the outer

face of the wall and the determination of deviations in the

higher and inaccessible part of it. In this area, a clear lev-

eling layer, corresponding to the level of traces left by the

nests of the internal platform was distinguished (Fig. 3).

The mortar on the inner surface of the wall was sub-

jected to observation on a macroscopic scale. In the lower

parts, up to a height of about 1–1.5 m above the ground

level, there was a lime mortar with a dark, brownish color,

quite loose due to a high content of sand, containing the

so-called lumps of poorly absorbed lime, characteristic of

medieval mortars. Above, a much stronger and better cal-

cied beige mortar was observed. On the outside, most of

the wall joints were covered with cement mortar, probably

as a result of modern repairs.

Summarizing the above observation data, as well as tak-

ing into account M. Chorowska’s research within the upper

castle

, two main stages of the growth of defensive walls

of the middle castle and zwinger can be distinguished.

Cf. M. Chorowska, Chronology of transformations in Grodno

Castle from the 13

to the mid-16

century, in this issue of “Architectus”.

Fig. 2. Section of the wall between towers Nos. 1 and 2: A – cross-section, B – projection, C – view from the inside, D – view from the outside of walls

(elaborated by M. Bogdała)

Il. 2. Przekrój muru między wieżami nr 1 i 2: A – przekrój, B – rzut, C – widok od wewnątrz, D – widok z zewnątrz murów

(oprac. M. Bogdała)

42 Marek Bogdała, Anna Chodkowska

It is worth considering what this early-modern fortied

perimeter from around 1500 looked like. Apart from the

towers of a standard height for the Middle Ages, its stone

relics are now preserved to the level slightly above the

second oset rising above the escarpment on the outside

of the walls. The higher parts of this wall, if they were

present at all, must have been dismantled to the level of

the leveling layer, which is clearly visible on both of its

faces. However, the solution in which the stone part of the

wall constituted only the foundation for higher structures

made of wood, similar to the fences known from the ico-

nography of Bohemian castles during the Hussite Wars,

seems more probable

The second stage consisted of adding a brick and stone

wall with the arrowslits described above to the stone foun-

dation. These openings were accessible from the plat-

form which was supported by wooden cantilever beams.

The nests for the beams were made in the late-medieval

foundation, just below the aforementioned leveling layer,

whereas the Renaissance wall with embrasures constituted

additional weight to the beams (Fig. 4). Dating the latter

structure to just after the mid-16

century results from the

use of strong well-calcied mortar and bricks of a still me-

dieval format

, i.e., 8.0–8.9 cm high, 13.6–14.5 cm wide

and 25.6–26.8 cm long. As mentioned above, moderniza-

tion of the outer bailey’s perimeter should be attributed to

the actions of Matthias von Logau, who, by making the

fence higher by a wall with a series of openings adapted

to the use of rearms, deserved to be commemorated with

the Logau family’s coat of arms with the initials M v L and

Cf. article by R. Biel, The functional analysis of the 15

century

forticationoftheGrodnoCastle, in this volume.

It was a poorly burnt brick, quite bright in color and strongly

eroded under the inuence of unfavorable weather conditions. It ap-

peared in the fourth construction phase of the upper castle.

The rst of them was connected with the activities of the

-century construction workshop, and the works were

also carried out in the upper castle. It should be identi-

ed with the third phase of construction transformations

of Grodno Castle, dating back to around 1500, i.e. the

times of the reign of the Czettritz family. In the second

stage, this wall was made higher as part of the renaissance

remodeling of Grodno Castle by Mathias von Logau. The

older genesis of the defensive wall and two round towers

under the upper castle was also guessed by Weber who

dated them to the time of reconstruction of the stronghold

after the Hussite attack in 1429 and connected these works

with the period of the fortress being held by the Czettritz

family (1465–1535) [3], [6].

Fig. 4. Chronological stratification

of the walls between towers No. 1

and 2 in relation to the stratification

of the upper castle.

Phases: 3 – around 1500,

4 – 1550–1600. Other phases

do not occur in this section

(elaborated by M. Chorowska,

A. Chodkowska, M. Bogdała)

Il. 4. Rozwarstwienie

chronologiczne murów między

basztami nr 1 i 2 w odniesieniu

do rozwarstwienia zamku górnego.

Fazy: 3 – ok. 1500 r., 4 – 1550–1600.

Pozostałe fazy nie występują

na tym odcinku

(oprac. M. Chorowska,

A. Chodkowska, M. Bogdała)

Fig. 3. Leveling layer and offset visible on the surface of 3D model

(elaborated by M. Bogdała)

Il. 3. Warstwa wyrównawcza i odsadzka widoczne na powierzchni

modelu 3D (oprac. M. Bogdała)

 RoundelbastionfortificationsofGrodnoCastleinZagórzeŚląskie 43

the date of 1551 [6], [7]. In the 19

century, this cartouche

was found on the western side of the front of the roundel

bastion perimeter of the lower castle.

Second stage of the extension in 1568

– zwinger, Georg von Logau

After Matthias von Logau’s death in 1567, the castle

was taken over by his eldest son Kaspar who became the

bishop of Wroclaw in 1562 [3]. In 1568, the new owner

renounced the inheritance and divided it among his broth-

ers [3]. The castle together with its adjoining estates were

handed over to Georg von Logau along with the lien for

10 years after Kaspar’s death. It was then that the second

stage of the renaissance extension of the castle including

the roundel bastion fortications began. In the case of

the zwinger, it meant the construction of two shell roun-

del bastions (Nos. 3 and 4), the superstructure of an ear-

ly-modern fence stretching from tower No. 2 almost to

roundel bastion No. 3 and the curtain of the wall closing

the zwinger from the north-eastern side.

The remaining part of the fence is unknown. To make

it higher, mainly stone was used with small elements of

crushed brick in some places. Numerous narrow arrow-

slits, which were splayed towards the interior of the zwing-

er and currently accessible from the ground level, were

made. The glyphs of openings were nished with brick. In

the corners of the arrowslits, 6.5–7 cm high obtuse ttings

were used, which distinguished them from the bricks of

the medieval format, i.e., 8–10 cm high. The presence of

these ttings gave the basis for dating the perimeter of the

zwinger to the time after 1560, i.e., to the times of Georg

von Logau. In 2/3 of its length, the wall was supported

by a wide stone buttress. Its middle section probably col -

lapsed in 1789 [3]. In later years, it was repaired and re-

built many times, which blurred its original character.

Roundel bastion No. 3 was directed asymmetrically in

relation to the adjacent walls. Its eastern arm was slight-

ly longer and smoothly changed into the further part of

the defensive perimeter. On the western side, it was per-

pendicularly connected with the wall. This arrangement

provided defenders with an increased eld of observation

of the access road to the castle and the space in front of

the gate. The shell probably had two utility levels. The

rst one was accessible from the contemporary ground

level and was equipped with three brick key embrasures

(Fig. 5). We can assume that there was the lower level

due to the second line of embrasures, now bricked up and

visible in its external face 2.5 m below the key embra-

sures. Their longitudinal shape and brick nish, as in the

case of other embrasure openings, suggest that the roun-

del bastion was originally casemated. Its lower level was

equipped with arrowslits. The course of vertical transpor-

tation between the levels is unknown. Only excavations

works could explain it.

The negatives of wooden beams are visible above the

embrasures of the upper level. Their location just below

the preserved remnant of the Renaissance attic allows us

to suppose that they had elements of the roong structure

which protected defenders against unfavorable weather

conditions and against gunpowder getting damp

. The left

internal corner of the roundel bastion was nished with

sandstone dimension stones tted into the stone wall.

From the eastern side, the roundel bastion gently

changes into a stone and brick defensive wall. The wall,

together with a series of six slit embrasures accessible

from the contemporary ground level, rises gently upward

in line with the topographical relief. The embrasures,

similarly to the ones described above, were nished with

brick and splayed to the interior of the zwinger. Above

the embrasures, a wall fragment can be distinguished, in

the lower part of which, just above the oset, there are

openings across the entire width of the wall, which are

relics of wooden beam nests which could have supported

a wooden porch above the wall or the roong of shooting

positions. The second option seems probable if we take

into account the presence of the remnants of the attic on

roundel bastion No. 3. This attic was probably continued

on the crown of the walls from that period and its presence

Similar solutions occurred, inter alia, in Chojnik Castle.

Fig. 5. The interior of roundel

bastion No. 3

(photo by A. Chodkowska)

Il. 5. Wnętrze bastei nr 3

(fot. A. Chodkowska)

44 Marek Bogdała, Anna Chodkowska

rules out the possibility of constructing an additional de-

fensive porch.

Roundel bastion No. 4 was constructed very similarly

to roundel bastion No. 3. It was also probably equipped

with two levels of embrasures nished by means of brick.

The upper storey is accessible from the contemporary

ground level, whereas the lower storey remains buried.

Internal corners of the roundel bastion were nished with

sandstone dimensions stones. What distinguishes it from

roundel bastion No. 3 is its symmetrical location in rela-

tion to the walls with which it is connected.

The further eastern part of the fortications from the

second phase of extension is the wall equipped with ar-

rowslits located near roundel bastion No. 4. The remaining

part of the wall rises steeply in line with the topographical

relief, then joining the wall of the medieval castle. A small

walled-up opening reminiscent of a tiny door leading to

the outside fortications in the eastern section of the walls

is still a mystery

Third stage of the extension until 1587

– lower outer bailey, Georg von Logau

The time of construction of the lower outer bailey and

the original methods of defending this part of the castle

hill are unknown. The sgrato decoration of the second

gatehouse bears the date “1570” which probably refers to

its origins and at the same time the beginnings the local

roundel bastion fortications. Around the new courtyard,

a bakery, a bathhouse and other farm buildings were sit-

uated [1]. Defensive walls were equipped with ve shell

roundel bastions, three of which have been preserved to

our times. Construction works were completed by 1587,

when the castle and its surroundings were valued by com-

missioners appointed for this purpose [3]. The estimate of

the value of the works carried out was made due to the end

of the ten-year pledge (it started in 1584 [3]) and a consid-

erable debt which Georg von Logau had fallen into.

The southern section of the wall, rising above the steep

slope above the river, along with two roundel bastions, i.e.

No. 5 and 6, has not been preserved to modern times. In

the 19

century, terraces were arranged in their place and

the area of the courtyard of the lower castle was enlarged

to the south. The building, where ticket oces are now

located, was built on the site of roundel bastion No. 5.

Roundel bastion No. 7 was built as a stone shell, prob-

ably two-storey. As the only one of the preserved ones it

has a buttress which was added to its middle part. Two

extreme arrowslits in the form of slots situated in a recess

splaying into the interior of the building have been pre-

served to the present day. The part of the wall between the

right and left embrasures collapsed. It was reconstructed

during renovation works in the 19

century. In the recon-

structed wall, the central arrowslit was symbolically re-

constructed by making a blind window from the inside of

The small opening seems to be a creation made in the 19

century

due to the use of brick present in the walls and wall supplements at that

time.

the roundel bastion. Arrowslits are now accessible from

the ground level. On the basis of the inspection of the wall

from its external side, it can be assumed that the roundel

bastion was not casemated because there were no openings

in the wall on the lower level. Remnants of wooden beam

nests, probably a battle porch, are visible above the shoot-

ing positions. A characteristic feature of roundel bastions

surrounding the lower castle is the second-storey wall. In

the case of roundel bastion No. 7, a small part of it has

been preserved. The rst and second storeys have a com-

mon and continuous facing of the roundel bastion edge

in the form of an aesthetic and even brick nish, which

was also used to nish arrowslits along with recesses. The

wall of the second storey is set back towards the interior

of the building, at the same time creating the oset from

the external side (Fig. 6). The nishing of the edge of the

second-storey wall allows us to assume that it was not con-

nected with the wall running between roundel bastions.

The wall between roundel bastions Nos. 7 and 8 is cur-

rently mostly obscured – from the side of the courtyard it

is illegible due to the addition of a new face to it, and from

the outside its legibility is obscured by farm buildings. In

a small fragment, which is visible from the outside, we

can see an arrowslit nished, like the others, with brick.

Perhaps this wall, similar to the walls of the zwinger, was

also equipped with a number of arrowslits guarding the

foreground of the castle.

Due to the reconstruction, which was carried out in the

century, roundel bastion No. 8 stands out the most

among the other preserved ones. It was closed from the

courtyard side, then plastered and roofed. Two neo-gothic

openings lead to its interior, i.e., the one from the court-

yard level and the other accessible from the stairs leading

to the rst oor. The present oor covering level in its in-

terior is below the level of the courtyard. Internal recess-

es, which may have been shooting positions, are visible.

The external part of fortications is not plastered. It was

built in a very similar way to roundel bastion No. 7, i.e., it

was equipped with three arrowslits nished with brick and

a second-storey wall with an oset from the external side.

The arrowslits were bricked up. Traces of the 19

-century

remodeling are also visible from the outside – under the

central embrasure and above the level of the outer ground,

there is a plastered blind window which is 187 cm high

and 77 cm wide. Moreover, from the western side, there

is a visible bricked up opening in the wall, below which

there are broken stone cantilevers. One of these openings,

which was made in 1873, probably constituted an exit to

the forest [3].

The wall, which is situated between roundel bastions

Nos. 8 and 9, is hardly legible from the side of the court-

yard due to the modern facing of its surface. From the

outside, it can be seen that the original wall was made like

the others, i.e., made of stone and brick. In the vicinity of

the western roundel bastion, there are two arrowslits n-

ished with brick. Half a meter above the arrowslits, a row

of nests with a spacing of 60–70 cm has been preserved.

These nests are located about 2 m below the current level

of the wall crown. Apart from the two arrowslits, no other

embrasure openings or their remains were observed.

 RoundelbastionfortificationsofGrodnoCastleinZagórzeŚląskie 45

The last of the described roundel bastions – roundel

bastion No. 9 – has been preserved to modern times in the

form of a stone and brick roofed shell which is plastered

in its inside. With its structure and layout, this roundel

bastion resembles other roundel bastions from that period

– a shell with an external oset on the level of the second

storey with probably three arrowslits. Nowadays, only

one bricked-up embrasure opening can be observed from

the external side – on the western side of the object. The

middle one was re-pierced in the 19

century in the form

of an ogival window – then a garden room was arranged

inside it [4]. The eastern arrowslit, if there was any, was

covered by a restaurant which was added to the roundel

bastion and the external wall.

The wall leading from the roundel bastion to the gate-

house is inside the bar. Its facing was contemporarily

changed, which makes its original shape and embrasure

openings hardly legible. To the east of the gatehouse, the

wall is relatively thin, not high, equipped with four arrow-

slits which are 60–63 cm high and 22–24 cm wide and

accessible from the ground level.

Complete perimeter of fortifications

In the 1580s the castle had a complete perimeter of early

modern roundel bastion fortications which consisted of

the lower castle, middle castle and zwinger. The analysis

of the defensive structures allows us to conclude that the

strongest line of defense started at roundel bastion No. 7

and it spread through the northern part of the walls up to

roundel bastion No. 4

Two types of shooting holes can be distinguished in

the object, i.e., arrowslits and keyholes (Fig. 7). The rst

ones were narrow vertical slits splaying towards the inte-

rior of the building. These embrasure were very simple in

their form – there are no remains of technological facili-

ties which would make it possible to use conveniently, for

Building a roundel bastion at a distance of an eective shot be-

tween them made it possible to eliminate a blind spot formed at the foot

of the object. In the case of Grodno Castle, the distance between the

roundel bastions was 20–30 m.

Fig. 7. Types of shooting holes in Grodno Castle: a) slit embrasure in the zwinger, b) keyhole embrasure of roundel bastion No. 3

(photo by A. Chodkowska, M. Bogdała)

Il. 7. Rodzaje otworów strzelniczych na zamku Grodno: a) strzelnica szczelinowa międzymurza, b) strzelnica kluczowa bastei nr 3

(fot. A. Chodkowska, M. Bogdała)

Fig. 6. Roundel bastion No. 7: I – projection, II – cross section A-A, III – cross section B-B,

a – plaster residues, b – reconstructed fragment of the wall, c – nests of the beams

(elaborated by A. Chodkowska)

Il. 6. Basteja nr 7: I – rzut, II – przekrój A-A, III – przekrój B-B,

a – pozostałości tynku, b – zrekonstruowany fragment muru, c – gniazda po belkach

(oprac. A. Chodkowska)

a b

46 Marek Bogdała, Anna Chodkowska

example, arquebuses. Muskets, which were much small-

er and more convenient to use than arquebuses, should

be considered the most likely weapon which was used to

defend the walls. The small width of shooting holes ex-

cluded the use of artillery. The second type of embrasures

– keyholes – occurred within the zwinger area. Their pres-

ence was certainly connected with the use of more pow-

erful rearms, probably artillery cannons

. The keyhole

embrasures which are situated at the height of the modern

ground level protected the northern part of the wall, i.e.,

to the east of the middle castle. Apart from embrasures,

the opening with dimensions of 20 × 40 cm which is situ-

ated above the ground level in the central part of roundel

bastion No. 8, is also noteworthy. Its even design from the

inside and a slight slope suggest that it could have been an

opening for dropping grenades.

The southern side of the castle did not require a strong

defense system due to the steep slope going downwards to

the river, however, it was equipped with two roundel bas-

tions with a wall connecting them, which no longer exist.

Perhaps their task was to guard the road which ran at the

foot of the mountain.

In the numerical model of the terrain (Fig. 8), which

shows the surroundings of the castle, we can see oval

In the 16

century, cannons with a diameter of 50–100 mm were

probably used in Chojnik Castle. This can be conrmed by the cannons

with the coat of arms of owners of Chojnik – the Schagotsch family,

which at present are situated in the castle in Bolków.

shapes at the north-eastern perimeter of the zwinger walls,

from the external side. This area has not been researched

so far, so it is dicult to assign a specic function to it,

in particular, taking into account the lack of references to

this place in literature. During eld observations, the pres-

ence of remnants of walls along oval earth formations was

noticed. They seem to resemble the remains of earthen

and brick roundel bastions, but this requires verication

in further studies.

The topographical relief, which forms the natural defense

of the castle from the south-east, whereas from the north

it enforces a strengthened defense line, is also fairly legible.

-century Romantic transformations

Over the next centuries, owners of the castle changed

many times. Between small renovations, neglected, it fell

into greater and greater ruin. At the turn of the 1830s, the

castle was auctioned o and became the property of peas-

ants who purchased it to obtain building materials. In 1823

Wrocław professor Johann Gustav Gottlieb Büsching

bought the castle, saving it from further devastation and

demolition [5, p. 83]. The 19

-century renovations and

remodeling of the castle can be divided into three stages.

The rst of them was conducted in the 1830s by the afore-

mentioned Wrocław professor. This remodeling protected

the castle from further damage, but it also resulted in the

diversication of buildings in the Romantic spirit. The cas-

tle was made available to tourists. In the years 1840–1855,

Fig. 8. Numerical terrain model

showing the immediate

surroundings of Grodno Castle

(elaborated by A. Chodkowska)

Il. 8. Numeryczny model terenu

przedstawiający najbliższe

otoczenie zamku Grodno

(oprac. A. Chodkowska)

 RoundelbastionfortificationsofGrodnoCastleinZagórzeŚląskie 47

Friedrich von Burghaus [3, p. 64] was responsible for the

second stage of the renovation. The third stage of remod-

eling the building took the 2

half of the 19

century.

Romantic renovations and reinforcements of the castle

aected the middle castle and zwinger to the slightest ex-

tent – in the zwinger area, an animal preserve, which was

closed with a stone and brick gate, was established. Parts

of roundel bastions of the lower castle were pulled down

and the others were adapted to new functions by rebuilding

them to a greater or lesser extent. Roundel bastion No. 8

underwent the greatest changes – it was closed from the

inside, it gained a new roof, as well as window and door

openings from the inside of the courtyard. A door opening,

which led to the outside of the building, i.e. to the forest

with walking paths, was also made in it. The area around

the castle was transformed as well – new alleys, which have

been partially preserved until today, were created around

the building. Their layout is clearly visible in Figure 8.

Summary

The presented study of the lower defensive perimeters

of Grodno Castle provided more details and supplemented

the current state of research as regards their origins. Closer

observations of individual fragments of the fortications,

apart from documenting the condition, made it possible to

precise the time of their formation and the reconstruction

of their past appearance. This allows us to better imag-

ine the fortress in its heyday, when the von Logau family

completed the works connected with its extension and de-

scribed it in 1588 as the place […] tforaprincetolive

in [3, p. 34].

Within the outer bailey (of the middle castle) and par-

tially the zwinger, an earlier, hitherto undened phase was

found, which dates back to around 1500. It is connected

with the construction of a low wall – a fence and cylin-

drical towers as well as the rst gatehouse. In the second

stage, these elements became the foundation for further

defensive improvements to the stronghold. In the 16

century, as a result of three stages of extension, the object

received a complete roundel bastion perimeter which was

adapted to the rearms and topographical relief. Despite

common features, such as the presence of a shell roundel

bastion with slit hole embrasures, individual solutions ap-

peared at each stage, e.g., keyhole embrasures, multi-level

shooting positions or the second storey of roundel bas-

tions with an external oset.

The present studies did not give answers to the ques-

tions about the presence of a moat separating the castle

from the north-western and northern parts of the hill – this

could only be settled by archaeological survey research.

The article also showed the need to conduct such research

in the area of roundel bastions No. 3 and 4 as well as

of the north-eastern section of the zwinger walls. They

would allow us to verify the issue of the presence of low-

er storeys in these defensive works and to determine the

method of vertical transportation between these storeys.

The presence and primary function of the semi-circular

earthen or earthen-wall formations located on the outer

north-eastern side of the stronghold also require separate

explanations.

Translated by

BogusławSetkowicz

References

[1] Rozpędowski J., ZamekGrodnowZagórzuŚląskimizamkiNowy

Dwór, Radosno, Rogowiec, Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich,

Wrocław 1960.

[2] Konczewski P., Biel R., Sprawozdanie z badań archeologicznych

namiędzymurzuZamkuGrodnowZagórzuŚląskim, Wrocław 2018

[manuscript in: Archiwum Delegatury Wojewódzkiego Urzędu

Ochro ny Zabytków, Wałbrzych].

[3] Schubert H., Burg Kinsberg in Schlesien. Beschreibung und Ge

schichte derselben nach urkundlichen Material bearbeitet, Verlag

Max Woywod, Breslau 1886.

[4]

Büsching J., DieKinsburginihremgegenwartigenZustandemitErin

rungen aus dem Fremdenbuch auf derselben, Gruson, Breslau 1827.

[5] Zemplin A., Beschreibung und Geschichte der Burg Kynsberg im

SchlesierthalederFurstenthumsSchweidnitz,biszumJahre1823,

Friedrich Wilhelm Größel, Breslau 1826.

[6] Weber R., SchlesischeSchlösser, Bd. 2, Deutschen Schloesser Al-

bums, Dresden–Breslau 1910.

[7] Schaetzke V., SchlesischeBurgenundSchlösse(Iser,Riesen,Wald

enburgergebirge und Vorberge). EinBeitragzurBurgenkundemit

Abbildungen, Verlag L. Heege, Schweidnitz 1927

Abstract

Roundel bastion fortications of Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie

The article presents the roundel bastion fortications of Grodno Castle in Zagórze Śląskie in detail. It also describes subsequent stages of their

extensions, including the previously unknown phase of fortications of the outer bailey (the so-called middle castle), dated to around 1500, when

a fence with two cylindrical towers, the rst gatehouse, and a stable building were built. The largest transformations were connected with the con-

struction activity of the von Logau family, which in 1547 came into possession of the castle and made its renaissance reconstruction as well as its

extension by the lower part of the outer bailey. Other signicant changes took place in the 19

century when the castle was saved from complete

demolition and adapted for visiting by tourists. These actions inuenced, inter alia, the appearance of its fortications and surroundings.

The text presents the stages of the roundel bastion perimeter construction. There are also references to the traces of its non-existent elements.

Building material such as brick formats and the type of mortar were observed. In the course of analyses, technologies of terrestrial and aerial photo-

grammetry were used, which made it possible to develop virtual models of the researched objects. On the basis of the data obtained from laser aerial

48 Marek Bogdała, Anna Chodkowska

scanning, a visualization of the terrain model around the castle was developed. Thanks to digital models, information, which was hardly legible during

architectural research using traditional methods, was obtained. The authors express the need for further studies, in particular archaeological ones,

which would allow discovering these relics of the castle which are still hidden.

Key words: roundel bastion, fence, defensive wall, embrasure, Grodno

Streszczenie

Fortykacje bastejowe zamku Grodno w Zagórzu Śląskim

W artykule szczegółowo przedstawiono fortykacje bastejowe zamku Grodno w Zagórzu Śląskim. Opisano kolejne etapy ich rozbudowy, w tym

nieznaną wcześniej fazę obwarowań podzamcza (tzw. zamku średniego), datowaną na około 1500 r., kiedy to powstał parkan z dwiema cylindrycz-

nymi basztami i pierwszym domem bramnym oraz budynkiem stajni. Największe przekształcenia powiązano z działalnością budowlaną rodziny

von Logau, która w 1547 r. weszła w posiadanie zamku i dokonała jego renesansowej przebudowy i rozbudowy o dolny człon podzamcza. Kolejne

istotne zmiany miały miejsce w XIX w., kiedy to zamek został uratowany przed całkowitą rozbiórką i przystosowany do zwiedzania przez turystów.

Działania te wpłynęły m.in. na wygląd jego obwarowań i otoczenia.

W tekście przedstawiono etapy powstania obwodu bastejowego. Odniesiono się również do śladów po nieistniejących jego elementach. Poddano

obserwacji materiał budowlany, jak formaty cegieł i rodzaj zaprawy. W toku analiz wykorzystano technologie fotogrametrii naziemnej i lotniczej po-

zwalających na opracowanie wirtualnych modeli badanych obiektów. Na podstawie danych pozyskanych z lotniczego skanowania laserowego opra-

cowano wizualizację modelu terenu wokół zamku. Dzięki cyfrowym modelom uzyskano informacje, które nie były czytelne w trakcie prowadzenia

badań architektonicznych tradycyjnymi metodami. Autorzy wyrażają potrzebę przeprowadzenia dalszych badań, w szczególności archeologicznych,

które pozwoliłyby na rozpoznanie niewidocznych reliktów zamku.

Słowa kluczowe: basteja, parkan, mur obronny, strzelnica, Grodno