Exploration in my family country lane.

I would like to introduce to all lovers of monuments the beautiful ruins of the palace of the zu Dohna family, which are a must see. The village of Słobity is located in a picturesque part of our country, in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Earlier, the village was called Schlobitten during the times of East Prussia. My entry concerns the palace of the zu Dohn family. This family ruled this land for over 400 years. Today only ruins remain - still beautiful, stimulating the imagination, in very bad condition. Hurry up if you are interested in it and want to see it with your own eyes! It is not known how much time they have left! A brief history of the site. The zu Dohn family comes from Saxony. A bit far from Słobity? Far. Zu Dohna fought on the side of the Teutonic Knights, who were insolvent, so in return for help and dedication they gave land. This is how he came into possession of some of his enormous fortune. In the granted lands, and more precisely in Słobity, they built a palace in the Dutch style.

In 1696, Alexander zu Dohna initiated the reconstruction of the palace. Side wings and a bridge leading to the palace were added. The whole took on a baroque dimension and was considered one of the most outstanding buildings of this type. The royal apartment was not forgotten - the palace had the privilege of a royal palace.

In 1944, zu Dohna received an offer from the director of the museum in Królewiec to store the Amber Room in the basement of the palace. Of course he did not agree, explaining that the basement was too damp. He also denied that there was any transfer. On the other hand, do you think he would confess? 😊 There are two levels in the basement. Under the bridge, there is a tunnel not conquered by divers, probably connected to the palace's cellars. These are only circumstantial evidence, they have never been 100% confirmed, only speculation remains. In 1945, Alexander zu Dohna took what he could and fled to Germany. Moments later, the palace was plundered and burned by the Soviets. And now she is standing and wasting away in her eyes ☹. There are also several partially destroyed farm buildings nearby, a greenhouse with grapevines and much more. The palace itself is a ruin. The floors are practically gone, most have collapsed into the basements. There is no question of the floors. And there used to be a two-story ballroom here like in the best club. The walls look bad too. The part added in the 18th century does not exist, only the pillars remain. Real shame. With stronger winds, you may be surprised by falling bricks. Keep that in mind and take care of yourself. If you like ruins, you have to come here sooner than later, because who knows how much all this will be left behind. We recommend it very much!