Lehnhaus Castle

The castle was presumably founded in the 11th century to secure the western border of the Duchy of Silesia against Upper Lusatia and Bohemia. It was first mentioned in 1155 as the seat of the castellany "Valan" in a bull of Pope Hadrian IV for the Diocese of Breslau. In the already existing outer bailey settlement "ante castrum Len", Bishop Walter of Breslau had consecrated a church of St. Mary before 1155. Due to the German-law settlement of the Löwenberg Weichbild in the first half of the 13th century by Duke Henry I, the castle had lost part of its castellany district. In 1256, Bishop Thomas I and in 1277 Duke Henry IV were imprisoned in the castle. In the second half of the 13th century, the castle was the seat of a Landvogt of the Lähn Weichbild. From the 14th century, the castle was pledged to noble families, first from 1372 by the widowed Duchess Agnes. Initially, from 1372, it came to the von Zedlitz, from whom the von Kolditz acquired it in 1377. From 1391 until about 1460, the von Redern followed, who had to defend the castle against the Taborites in 1428. The salt markets in Lähn and Schönau brought the family significant interest income. Hans and Bernhard von Redern also bought the Landvogtei Lähn from Thymo and George von Seydlitz auf Langenau in 1452. From 1465–1512, the von Zedlitz-Rochlitz were the pledge lords of the castle and lordship, including Hans von Zedlitz. During the regency of the Bohemian anti-king Matthias Corvinus (1469–1490), Lehnhaus Castle was a center of the nobility opposed to him, as well as noble robber knights against the townspeople. From 1530–1536, the castle was owned by the Hohberg, who were followed again by the von Zedlitz until 1556. From 1556–1567, the castle was owned by the von Schaffgotsch. From 1567, it was owned by Sebastian von Zedlitz-Neukirch, who had it rebuilt in the Renaissance style in 1570. From 1581–1598, the castle was again owned by the von Schaffgotsch. Due to over-indebtedness, they had to cede the property to Konrad von Zedlitz-Wiesenthal, who acquired it as a hereditary fief in 1605.

At the invitation of the lord of the castle, the Lutheran theologian Matthias Flacius came to the castle on May 7, 1574, advocating for the convocation of a synod. However, only a dispute with Silesian pastors about "Original Sin and the Free Will of Man after the Fall" took place, which was continued at Langenau Castle. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was held by the Imperial forces. On December 6, 1645, it was conquered by the Swedes. Therefore, it was destroyed in 1646 on the orders of the imperial general Raimondo Montecuccoli and not rebuilt. In 1653, the French colonel Adam von Koulhas acquired the no longer habitable castle. He built Lehnhaus Palace below the castle ruins in 1656. Only in the 19th century were the castle ruins rediscovered and secured as a tourist destination. After the transfer of Silesia to Poland as a result of the Second World War in 1945, the castle was placed under monument protection.

Access to the castle was originally via a southeastern zwinger, through which one reached the outer bailey to the north. From there, an access point in the east of the upper castle was reachable. Today, one enters the inner courtyard of the upper castle through a former postern gate. In the upper castle, there were residential buildings in the west, the palas in the east, and the keep in the south. After a rockfall in 2005, the castle was renovated again.