Castles of former East Prussia: Sztynort Palace

Pałac rodu von Lehndorff, 11-600 Sztynort

Historical places in former East Prussia: Sztynort Castle

The ancestral seat of the von Lehndorff family on Lake Mamry is one of the famous historic noble residences in former East Prussia, along with Dönhoffstädt or Schlobitten. In the 17th century, the construction of a compact Baroque castle was started by Maria Eleonore von Dönhoff, who was married to Ahasverus von Lehndorff. In the 19th century the baroque castle was extensively rebuilt. The facade received a neo-Gothic redesign with new side wings. Two parallel towers were built on the garden side, while on the courtyard side only the west wing was closed off by a tower.

Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff, resistance fighter and last owner in Sztynort, lived with his wife and daughters in the east wing of the castle when the west wing was occupied by the Wehrmacht in 1941. In July 1944, he was a participant in the Hitler assassination in the nearby Wolf's Lair and as a result was executed in Berlin in September 1944.

After 1945, Russian forces occupied the castle and used it as a collection point for looted goods before they were taken to Russia. Steinort Castle contained numerous art treasures, and the architecture is also considered to be of cultural and historical value. Particularly noteworthy are the painted wooden ceilings from the Baroque period on the upper floor. In the entrance hall, a three-armed oak staircase with powerful balusters can be seen.

In 2009, the operating company of the harbor in front of the castle transferred the building to the German-Polish Foundation for the Preservation of Culture and Monuments, which has since then been carrying out the gradual preservation and reconstruction with the help of subsidies and donations. In the meantime, a small museum has been established in one wing. The castle construction site can be visited from time to time as part of special events. To the southeast of the main building stands a neoclassical teahouse. If one drives from the harbor in Steinort through the canal in the direction of Darguner See, the restored burial chapel of the von Lehndorff family is located on the right side.

The further surroundings of the castle are now owned by a real estate company. In the future, new residential and vacation homes are to be built here to meet the increasing demand for vacation properties at one of the largest marinas on the Masurian lakes.