Already the beauty of nature surrounding the Świny Castle can enchant. The castle tower is overgrown with ivy, estimated to be more than 250 years old. Beautiful linden trees adorn the avenue leading here, and the trees’ spreading branches create a natural vault and provide shade for weary hikers. Mighty forests extend into the neighboring countryside and tempt with numerous hiking trails and routes to viewpoints.

METRICS OF THE DEFENSIVE FOUNDATION OF THE CASTLE IN SWINE

The metrics of the defensive establishment in Swiny are early medieval and date back perhaps as far as the 10th century. In the 12th century there was a stronghold here with a military and administrative function, mentioned in papal bulls of 1155 and 1245, as located on the border of Silesia, by one of the communication routes. This stronghold is probably identical to the one mentioned in Kosmas in 1108. Zwini in Poloniae. In the 1st half of the 13th century, the castellans of Zwini were already mentioned.

HISTORY
Once upon a time…

It is said that on the rocky plateau of the Walbrzych and Kaczawskie Foothills, in close proximity to the Kaczawskie Mountains, the first castle was erected around the year . And this happened due to the heroic deed of a certain Biwoj. This knight was a squire of Libuša herself, a Czech princess, without whom Prague supposedly would not exist. Once upon a time, somewhere in the year 740, he went to the woods of Sycamore to hunt, and there he changed his fate. He slaughtered an odyssey with his own hands, thus saving Libusha, the target of the wilderness beast’s charge. The princess rewarded Biwoj with the Pig’s Head coat of arms and blessed his marriage to her sister Kassa.

The union of Bivoy and Kassa is the birth of the Swink family, and the first descendant of the family’s progenitors erected a defensive headquarters on the site we know today. It was intended to guard the lands from the runs of enemies.

So much for legend.

AND WHAT DOES HISTORY SAY ABOUT THE ORIGINS?

The former function of the town of Świny was that of a castellany, and this is confirmed by the mention in Pope Hadrian IV’s Bull of Protection of April 1155. Historians, however, are unanimous in stating that Swiny is first mentioned in source texts by the historian Kosmas a few years earlier, in 1108. It is there that the locality of interest to us, Zvini in Polonia, appears. Farm buildings surrounded the fortress and over time took over its .

Interestingly, we have some indications that settlement in the area of today’s Świny Castle ruins existed even earlier. In the 1950s, archaeologists unearthed fragments of pottery dating to the 6th to 7th centuries here. In the late 1960s they found traces of an early medieval settlement. Meanwhile, during current archaeological research Tomasz Olszacki found pottery from the first half of the 10th century in the bailey.

The castellany in Swiny existed for roughly 100 years and served as a border defensive stronghold. In the 1370s Bolko I, a prominent Silesian Piast and Duke of Jawor-Swidnica, decided to leave Swiny for the more powerful Bolkow. At that time, it is likely that Swiny went from being a ducal stronghold to a private property and became the property of the knightly Swink family – yes, the family name was taken from the name of the castle, which in turn used to mean a wild boar. This corresponds beautifully with the legend of Biwoj.

DISORDER IN NAMING – ONLY APPARENT

Reliable Joanna Lamparska, a researcher of the secrets of Lower Silesia, explains: the surname of the Swins underwent gradual Germanization: Swyn, Zuini, Swinino turned slowly into Swin, Swyn, Swein, until the 15th century form – Schweinichen.
The pigs, on the other hand, have turned into a Schweinhaus.

PIGS IN THE HANDS OF PIGS

There will be time yet to tell the story of some of the representatives of this fascinating family. At this point, however, it is necessary to pay tribute for another reason – it was in the hands of the Swinkas that the castle flourished and reached its most perfect form over the centuries. The Swinkas made the object turn from an ordinary watchtower into a majestic seat of the family, proudly towering over the Sudetenland. As early as the 14th century, a masonry castle was erected, the central part of which was a walled residential and defensive tower, with four stories and an entrance with a portcullis, or lattice, that could be lowered thanks to guides carved into the walls. The wall surrounding the tower marked the boundaries of the utility courtyard.

The expansion of the above structure dates back to the 15th century and the actions of Gunczel, the host of Świny Castle in 1420-1503, whose tombstone can be admired in the nearby castle church. Gunczel von Schweinchen erected a new residential building near the western tower, along with his own courtyard, and himself bravely fought off bands of germans, robber-knights, the so-called raubritters, roaming the area, recapturing from their hands, for example, the nearby castle in Płonin. It is said that the acrimony with which Gunczel exterminated the robbers was due to their earlier plundering of the wine heading for the castle… This noble warfare was probably also watched over by providence, since Gunczel’s actions were not disturbed even by the Hussites, fortunately avoiding these lands.

BURGMANN, SON OF GUNZEL.

Burgmann, Gunzel’s son, and John, who ruled here after him, changed very little in the architecture of Świny Castle, but nevertheless left their distinct mark on the building’s appearance. During their reign, Renaissance elements were introduced, the former Gothic buildings were modernized, the window openings in the living quarters were enlarged, and the old entrance gate was bricked up.

According to some, Jan Sigismund Swinka, a world traveler, brought to Swinka an Italian architect, whose identity was blurred by the darkness of history. With him he was to make reconstructions that gave the residence the character of a castle-residence. The year 1620 is the year referred to as the great modernization of Świny Castle. The residential building was erected completely anew, according to the current and fashionable rules. The progressive construction work was interrupted by the Thirty Years’ War. The turmoil of war once again proved kind to Świny; the Swedes, like the Hussites before them, did not approach the walls, and John Sigismund immediately after the war returned to the implementation of the plans, which he never abandoned. Thanks to his efforts, the castle was fortified, bastions were erected, the walls were reinforced with bastions, and a drawbridge was brought to the residential part of the complex.

This is how John Sigismund went down in history as the greatest builder in the history of Świny Castle.

SAD GOOD ENDS

The time of John Sigismund’s reign was then the last prosperous period of Świny Castle. This is because after him the object passed into the hands of representatives of the lateral line of the family, George Ludwig and George Ernest. The lords were no longer so prosperous, and the Swinns began to grow poorer as well. In 1762 foreign troops plundered the Schweinhaus – this time, too, providence forgot about the castle, and the Seven Years’ War left its mark here.

Świny Castle was put up for auction by the Swinns. In 1769 it was purchased by Count John Henry, a Prussian state councillor, and by then it was already a decaying, abandoned, deteriorating residence. The count did not live long, and his widow, Maria Theresa, gave both the castle and the surrounding village to the Austrian counts von Hoyos-Sprinzenstein. They owned the property until World War II.

The castle was leased and used as a grain and straw storehouse. Hurricanes in the 1840s damaged the structure, collapsing the residential tower roof and ceilings. What was saved was consumed by the 1876 fire.

“ILLUSTRATED WEEKLY,” JANUARY 28, 1882:

Already from afar the walls, gables and ruins of the castle tower catch the eye, which would never have been brought to its present deplorable state if people had not deliberately contributed to it. Already from the second half of the last century, bricks and stones from the castle were taken in the area, where stones and building materials are not in short supply, for the erection of other buildings. Even the 19th century witnessed unjustifiable vandalism of this kind; the new school in the village of Schweinhaus, built with castle materials, is proof.

FURTHER FATE OF ŚWINY CASTLE

As the new century dawned, attempts to save the ruin from total destruction began. In 1905, the object was taken care of by the Union of Friends of Bolko Grove, whose members gradually secured the walls of the building, protecting them from collapse. They also managed to renovate the castle tower and even covered it with a wooden gabled roof. As a result, by the third decade of the 20th century, before the war, the Swiny was already open to tourists. Until 1937, the castle had its own keyholder, who guided willing visitors through the local secrets for a fee. The mysterious Lower Silesia has been attracting…

During World War II, the Germans used the ruins as warehouses and, contrary to their original intentions, did not rebuild the castle. The Nazis planned to organize a National Socialist educational camp for young people at Świny Castle after winning the war. They gained access to the castle through blackmail. The object’s owner at the time, Rudolf Hoyos, opposed the Nazi regime, while his wife, Maria Amelia, was imprisoned by the Gestapo. The deal offered by the Nazis was simple – Maria’s freedom for the castle. Rudolf Hoyos had to yield.

After 1945, Swiny was abandoned and nothing special happened there, while the favorable classification of the object as a Piast castle spurred the authorities of the time into action – the 1950s and 1960s were marked by repairs and renovations. Archaeological and architectural research was carried out, one of the tower’s ceilings was restored and the tower’s shingle roof was replaced. The castle was slowly regaining at least some of its former splendor.

In 1991 Alexander von Freyer, a Swede, bought the property, but did not implement any of his ideas for developing the Swine space. And he had many ideas! Perhaps the most exotic was a museum of wax figures, where tourists were to admire figures associated with the history of the Giant Mountains. Over the following years the castle remained in private hands, and there were various concepts for its management – from a secret search for a supposed amber chamber to opening a corkscrew museum here.

Until finally the Świny castle came to us.

UNUSUAL PIGS

Let’s return to the past for a bit more. It has been said that there will be more talk about the Piggins, and indeed – several representatives of this family deserve a special place in the story. Let’s just mention that the common traits of the Swinkies were longevity, stature like an oak and a strong head, which was sometimes fatal. The fame and boisterous reputation of our heroes, however, reached far. Marek Perzynski, a researcher of the history of Lower Silesia, jokingly notes that the honor of the family was saved only by Jakub Swinka, the archbishop of Gniezno, lord of the estate until 1314. The others… Well, things were different with the others.

Conrad the Pig feared neither the devil, nor angels, nor the elements. Legend has it that he feasted with his companions during a wild storm under the open sky. Undaunted he said: Will it do me any good if I sit gloomy at the table? If the devils are to snatch me, let them do it at the moment of merriment! At this moment a thunderbolt shot through the chalice held by Konrad. The dashing unlucky man fell dead, the chalice melted, fused with his body and went with him to the grave.

Burgmann Pig lived to be 110 years old, and his love of alcohol became the stuff of legends. He drank from a goblet with a substantial capacity of ten liters and laughed in the faces of moralists who, concerned, advised against drinking so heavily and unrestrainedly. Burgmann is said to have used to say that he would outlive any saint, and looking at the ripe old age he has lived to, one can assume that he was not lying.

JAN, SON OF BURGMAN.

Jan, Burgmann’s son, inherited his father’s predilection for drunkenness and longevity. He was tamed by Barbara, who, as a fervent Protestant, forced her unfortunate spouse to study diligently Martin Luther’s catechism, from which Jan was questioned. Successful passing of the evening exams was rewarded by Barbara with a cup of wine, which Jan could drink in peace. The motivation was probably quite effective, because it is said that after the catechism, John took to studying the entire Scriptures, page by page… He did not relent until after Barbara’s death. At the age of 80, he married a 15-year-old girl, with whom he sired two sons.

One of them, the aforementioned John Sigismund, differed from the ancients, for instead of drinking he indulged in more metaphysical thoughts. Fascinated by the activities of his guest, the mystic Jacob Böhme, he pondered with him what extrasensory life, the soul, God and paradise are, and where evil comes from. Death found the mystic within the walls of Świny Castle while working on his work 177 Questions of a Christ-loving man (he managed to answer only 40 of them). John, after the death of his companion, so to speak, continued his mission and amassed the largest mystical and theosophical library in Silesia. He passed away childless, and the book collection was handed over to the clairvoyant Angel of Silesia.

OTHER LEGENDS OF ŚWINY CASTLE

Apparently, there used to be a tunnel that connected the Świny castle with the castle in Bolkow. In turn, the two castles had something else in common – a mutual dislike between the Swinkies and the von Zedlitzes, who farmed in Bolkow. Once upon a time Jan Swinka (probably the hero of the story is Barbara’s husband from the catechism, as historians suggest) got angry because the von Zedlitzes’ carts drove through his estate. So he rallied his soldiers and set out for the Bolkows. Zedlitz was mainly frightened by the fact that he had a young, beautiful daughter, Adelunda, and knew John’s predilections and his spirited ways. He therefore hid Adelund in this secret tunnel. He did not foresee one thing – Jan through the tunnels had just decided to sneak into Bolkow. And when he was already reaching his destination, he met the girl, trembling with fear, hidden in the underground. He fell in love with her at once. But Zedlitz guessed the enemy’s foray, rushed into the tunnel and, drawing his weapon, clashed with Jan. Jan the swordsman was more proficient, defeated the girl’s father and… gave him life, led by his sudden love for Adelunda. The girl, grateful for the generosity and grace shown to her parent, gave herself to John, and peace reigned between the feuding families.

Gunczel II was a robber knight, but he operated under a peculiar code – he only robbed other robbers. His dream was to plunder the treasury of the robbers’ chieftain located somewhere in the basement of Niesytno Castle in Plonin. So he set off one day for Niesytno, the siege lasted several days, ended with the forcing of the fortress and the killing of the bandleader. With the death of the nemesis, a shrill rumble sounded in the courtyard and the treasury sank to the ground. It is said that the chieftain appears in the courtyard every day until today, and his gold can be seen during two nights of the year: before Good Friday and before St. John.

Burgmann’s son and also his successor, the long-lived John as we know him, had, in addition to his own descendants, an adopted daughter – the beautiful Ursula. The girl suffered misfortune and died very young, at the age of 17, having swallowed a needle. It is said to have been a tragic accident, but stories quote us a different version. This is because Ursula was said to have committed suicide. The reason was her love for a man from a lower state, impossible to fulfill. Ursula had already been destined for another, and the imposed candidate did not arouse any affect in the girl. She therefore chose death. We can admire Ursula’s beauty today thanks to a preserved tombstone, which can be found in the chateau’s church.

ŚWINY CASTLE TODAY

Today the Świny Castle is owned by the Świny Castle Ltd. Preservation and construction works are currently underway. They are aimed at restoring the object to its former splendor. We are keen to gradually open the object to the public and organize exhibitions and other cultural events here. We realize the scale of the investment we have undertaken and the fact that it will take many more years to complete, but, well – can’t the road to the goal be an end in itself? We are excited about the possibilities of discovering the many secrets of Świny Castle and sharing them with you.

Already the beauty of nature surrounding the Świny Castle can enchant. The castle tower is overgrown with ivy, estimated to be more than 250 years old. Beautiful linden trees adorn the avenue leading here, and the trees’ spreading branches create a natural vault and provide shade for weary hikers. Mighty forests extend into the neighboring countryside and tempt with numerous hiking trails and routes to viewpoints.

The Kaczawskie Foothills and Mountains are waiting to be discovered!

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