Rzeszów Castle

Rzeszów Castle is a landmark of the Polish city of Rzeszów, built in 1902-1906 on the site of a previously existing castle. The first castle on this site was built back in the 15th century after Rzeszow passed into the hands of Nicholas Ligierz in 1583. Judging by historical documents, the first castle consisted of two floors and had the shape of a square to enhance the defensive functions. The castle was surrounded around the perimeter by a wall 1.5 meters thick. In case of an attack, loopholes were made in the wall, as well as two corner watchtowers. In 1620, modernization work was carried out in the castle: bastions and a rampart appeared. After the death of the owner Nikolai Ligezh, the castle passed to the family of Jerzy Lubomirski. Under the new owner, the castle experienced hard times: Lubomirsky was an enthusiastic politician and did not pay any attention to the maintenance of the castle. In 1667, when the castle passed to the son of the former owner, George Hieronymus Lubomirsky, large-scale reconstruction and expansion work began under the leadership of Tilman Gameren, which lasted until 1695. According to Tilman's plans, the castle turned into a two-story building with four wings and a deep moat around the perimeter. There were about 80 cannons guarding the castle. A whole system of secret passages was also created, allowing soldiers to move efficiently and quickly from one part of the building to another. After the end of the Northern War, the castle was partially destroyed and again needed reconstruction. In 1820, the castle was taken over by the Austrian government, which opened a prison and a courthouse here. In the years 1902-1906, repairs were carried out in the castle, only towers, bastions and a moat remained from the old appearance. During World War II, executions of Polish were carried out in the castle. Between April 1, 1943 and March 1, 1944, almost 3,000 people were killed. In 1981, the prison was closed, leaving only the functioning district court on the territory of the castle. #poland #rzeszow