Deep in the Owl Mountains. On the east side of the Volpersdorfer Plänel/Przełęcz Woliborska (mountain pass near Wolibórz), on the small peak of the castle hill on the road from Langenbielau to Neurode, hidden in the forest lies one of the oldest castles in Silesia.
Hannig Castle near Lampersdorf, today’s Grodzsicze, is one of the oldest medieval castles in Silesia. According to archaeological excavations, the castle dates back to the 10th century. At that time, castles were not only seats of nobility, but also had the character of fortresses. The Slavs began building castles in the 8th and 9th centuries. The laser photography of Hannig Castle and the existing photographs indicate a so-called „motte“. These first tower hill castles were built between 900 and 1000 AD, which is consistent with the archaeological evidence. The castle does not appear in scientific literature until the end of the 19th century, although the first serious archaeological work was carried out here only in 1988-1993. The archaeological findings reveal a tower with a diameter of 11.5 metres, residential and farm buildings, defence walls, a cistern in the middle of the tower and a moat. Medieval horseshoes, a large Gothic key and pottery were found. The ceramics from the 10th to 15th centuries found at Hannig Castle indicate that the first inhabitants of this fortification spoke Moravian. The castle was a strategically important stronghold in the Silesian-Bohemian border region. There is much to suggest that Hannig Castle was extended and enlarged under Henry the Bearded, Duke of Silesia between 1201 and 1238. Duke Heinrich was the husband of St Hedwig. Hedwig’s sister Gertrude was Queen of Hungary and mother of St. Elisabeth. Under Duke Bolko I of Schweidnitz (1278-1301), the construction of castles and fortresses in Silesia flourished and Hannig Castle was also upgraded during this period. Between 1425 and 1434, the Hussite wars led several times to Silesia. Hussite troops plundered numerous castles and palaces in the Owl Mountains. Villages and towns were often burnt to the ground. After the end of the Hussite wars, many castles were occupied by robber barons. Hannig Castle also shared the fate of the remaining fortifications and was demolished around 1450 by the governor of the Duchy of Schweidnitz-Jauer, Hans II von Colditz, to prevent the settlement of robber barons. Building material from Hannig Castle can be found in many buildings in the surrounding area, so that although only a small pile of stones remains of the castle today, the castle still exists in the buildings and the surrounding area.
