Strzelce Opolskie Castle, Castle ruin in Strzelce Opolskie, Poland
Strzelce Opolskie Castle is a ruined castle in Strzelce Opolskie, Opole Voivodeship. Its masonry core was a compact rectangular tower measuring 16.1 by 13.9 metres, with limestone walls up to 177–190 cm thick. The castle burned out in 1945 and remains a ruin; the adjacent Marstall (stable building) survives from the former complex.
A wooden hunting lodge stood here until a fire in 1273; a stone castle followed, first recorded as Castrum Strelecense in 1305. Its core was a rectangular limestone tower measuring 16.1 by 13.9 metres with walls up to 190 cm thick. Duke Albert of Strzelce rebuilt it and added town walls from 1323, and the von Redern family renovated it between 1562 and 1596.
The castle chapel was built from 1709 in the west wing by Karl Samuel Colonna. Under the Colonna, townspeople owed the castle dues: each house and each stall paid a grosz, shoemakers delivered a pair of boots yearly, and the tailors' guild sent two young masters to work at the castle.
The castle is centrally located in town and is easily accessible on foot without special preparation needed. Visitors can explore the exterior and surrounding grounds at any time and view the building from nearby streets.
The castle burned in 1945 and has been a ruin since; of the former main building only the neighbouring Marstall (stables) survives. The castle park was laid out from 1832. In 1932 the estate passed to Wolfgang Graf zu Castell-Castell, who was buried in the castle park.
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