Otok ruiny pałacu województwo zachodniopomorskie

Description and photos from the website https://zabytek.pl/pl/obiekty/otok-palac The film uses the photo NAPOLEON 2008 West Pomeranian Voivodeship, Gryfice County, Gryfice Commune - rural area The palace in Otok is a neo-Gothic residence of particularly high artistic standard, designed by a renowned Berlin architect. History The first mention of the settlement known as "Otok" appears in 1224 in the foundation charter of the Norbertine monastery of Trzebiatów, which was then based in Wyszków. In later documents, the village is called "Woitke," "Wotisch," and "Woedtke." According to available literature, Otok was the seat of an influential knightly family as early as the Middle Ages. According to historical sources, the knight Dobiesław of Otok (Dobislaw de Wotisch), who was of Slavic descent, founded the town of Płoty under Lübeck law in 1277. He also began the construction of a massive castle in the northern part of today's town, which he never completed (the impressive ramparts have survived). Unfortunately, the story of Dobiesław's successes came to an abrupt end around 1283 in unclear circumstances during the Pomeranian-Brandenburg War. However, it seems his heirs continued to live in Otok. For centuries, the family name was closely linked to the name of the town from which they originated. The phonetic spelling of this name (and thus the surname) changed over the centuries: Woitke, Wotisch, and Woedtke. The list of vassals mentions a certain Peter Woidke from the town of Woidke. In 18th-century documents, the surname and the name of the town were spelled Woedke. Thus, the Dobiesław family was not only one of the oldest Pomeranian families, still possessing Slavic roots, but also lived in the same town from prehistoric times until 1945. In the 19th century, members of the Woedtke family achieved some success in horse breeding, which brought them considerable profits. In 1863, to improve the quality and value of horses bred in Pomerania, an association was established. With a government loan, it purchased a herd of high-quality stallions belonging to the von Waldow family. The horses were then transferred to Otok for further development, contributing to the improvement of the local breed. The present-day residence was founded by Karl Ludwig von Woedtke, cousin of Joanna von Puttkammer, wife of Grand Chancellor Otto Bismarck. Built around 1864, the palace was designed by Gustav Knoblauch, son of the renowned Berlin architect Karl Eduard Knoblauch. Design drawings of the palace, its architecture, and interior design, including chairs, are preserved in the archives of the Technical University of Berlin. Design work began at the turn of 1862 and 1863. The residence in Otok was built in the English Neo-Gothic style, typical of the early Romantic phase of Historicism. Despite the use of Neo-Gothic architectural detail, the design of the structure and façade are still characterized by a traditional, classical composition. At that time, the palace in Otok was the most impressive noble residence in Pomerania. The neo-Gothic interior design was particularly rich, featuring carved wooden ceiling elements, wainscoting, stucco, and paintings. In the northern part of the building was a large, stately hall with a three-sided projection on the longitudinal axis. Its interior was characterized by a particularly high artistic standard. The room was topped with a magnificent, intricately decorated wooden coffered ceiling. The walls were covered with rich neo-Gothic wainscoting and tracery stucco. The entire space was complemented by a magnificent fireplace and intricately decorated door frames. It is possible that the hall was associated with the activities of the aforementioned horse breeding association. Other palace rooms were also exceptionally interesting. The two-story entrance hall was covered with a decorative painted ceiling, stylized as a coffered ceiling. On the first floor, a wooden gallery was suspended, encircling the entire room.