Rydzyna Castle - World War II Until Present Day

World War II Until Present Day

During the German occupation, 1939–1945, a "Hitlerjugend" (see National Political Institutes of Education) school was placed in the castle. At the end of January 1945 the Castle in Rydzyna was burnt by the Red Army. The severely damaged Castle awaited a new owner until 1970, when was taken over by The Association of Polish Mechanical Engineers (S.I.M.P.) and rebuilt according to documents and photographs from before World War II. The work was completed in 1989. In 1994 the castle was awarded by the prestigious international organization Europa Nostra in recognition of the excellence of the restoration work. Original equipment and furnishing from the Castle were lost before World War I. The main Baroque rooms were completely restored to their original grandeur according to the historic documentation. In the castle collections there are: old furniture, historical drawings, remembrances of the Sułkowski family, nature collections e.g.: tropical butterflies, hunting trophies. In the library one can find documentation connected with the previous owners of the Castle, The Sułkowski Grammar School and The Association of Polish Mechanical Engineers.