Forgotten manor houses in East Prussia: Masuny

Northeastern Poland: Between picturesque landscapes and ruins

The manor house in Mazuny in the Bartoszyce district was built in the early 20th century in neo-Baroque style for the Gamp-Massaunen family. Karl von Gamp-Massaunen was a landowner and a member of the Prussian Parliament.

Various books describe the original interior of the palace as stately: two-wing oak staircase, rich stucco ceilings and ornate fireplaces are said to have existed in the building. Moreover, Mazuny was once a very large estate with a total area of well over 1000 ha. The extensive grange also included, among other things, a brickyard, a dairy and a distillery.

While the manor house survived the Second World War without significant damage, little was done for its preservation in the post-war years. The manor house was under state administration and was used for communal purposes. Today it has been vacant for over 50 years and is one of those houses that could not be marketed - for many years the former State Agency for Agricultural Real Estate (Agencja Własności Rolnej Skarbu Państwa) tried to attract private investors and offered these properties at low purchase prices.

Relationship between Poland and Russia still difficult

Today, if you visit all the properties in northeastern Poland that have been for sale for many years in the past - such as Mieduniszki Wielkie to name just one example - you will notice that especially those manors that are close to the border with Kaliningrad have not found buyers. They have shared a similar pattern of decline over the past 25 years: Vacancy, fire, ruin.

That Masuny will once again come to life is unlikely, but miracles are never ruled out. Until then, what remains is a scene you can find more often today in northeastern Poland.

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By the way, today the National Support Center for Agriculture (KOWR - Krajowy Ośrodek Wsparcia Rolnictwa) is responsible for marketing agricultural land in Poland. Prospective buyers of land with agricultural character in most cases require a permit for the purchase of a palace or a manor in Poland, if the land exceeds the permit-free minimum size of 0.5 ha.