Szymbark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship

Village in Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland

53°38′54″N 19°28′58″E / 53.64833°N 19.48278°E / 53.64833; 19.48278Country

PolandVoivodeshipWarmian-MasurianCountyIławaGminaIławaPopulation

395Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Vehicle registrationNILVoivodeship roads

Szymbark (Polish: [ˈʂɨmbark]) is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Iława, within Iława County, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, in northern Poland.^[1] It lies approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) north-west of Iława and 69 km (43 mi) west of the regional capital Olsztyn. The village is located on the northern shore of Szymbarskie Lake.

The castle

The construction of the castle began in 1301.^[2] It was built by the Teutonic Order as a summer residence of the Bishop of Pomesania. A Latin inscription above the main gate (Hec Porta Constructa Est Anno Domini MCCCLXXXVI Tempore Fratris Henrici De Skarlin Prepoziti) dates back to 1386 and mentions brother Henry of Skarlin as constructor.^[3] Sometimes he is described as the founder of the castle.^[3] The castle became property of the last Catholic and first Lutheran Bishop of Pomesania, Georg von Polentz, after the secularization of the Order. In 1699 it was bought by Ernst Graf Finck von Finckenstein and remained property of the Finckenstein family until 1945.^[4]^[5]

In April 1945, about three month after the conquest by the Soviet Union, and again in 1947 the castle was set on fire and completely destroyed.^[6] The ruins were used for the 1996 movie The Ogre by Volker Schlöndorff with John Malkovich in the title role.

The south-east flank and main gate
The south view
The north-west tower
The north-east tower

Sports

The local football club is LZS Zamek Szymbark. It competes in the lower leagues.

Notable residents

Katharina Dorothea Finck von Finckenstein

References

^ "Central Statistical Office (GUS) - TERYT (National Register of Territorial Land Apportionment Journal)" (in Polish). 2008-06-01.
^ von Lorck, Carl (1992). Landschlösser und Gutshäuser in Ostpreussen (in German). Flechsig. ISBN 978-3-8035-1200-0.
^ ^a ^b The history of Szymbark Castle at zamkipolskie.pl(in Polish)
^ Jackiewicz-Garniec, Małgorzata; Garniec, Mirosław (2007). Burgen im Deutschordensstaat Preussen (Zamki państwa krzyżackiego w dawnych Prusach. Powiśłe, Warmia, Mazury) (in German). Arta. ISBN 978-83-912840-6-3.
^ Turnbull, Stephen; Dennis, Peter (2003). Crusader Castles of the Teutonic Knights. Osprey Publ. p. 38. ISBN 9781841765570.
^ Finck von Finckenstein, Renate (2000). Burg Schönberg in Westpreussen (in German). Starke. ISBN 978-3-7980-0565-5.