A brief history of Florsdorf
The village of Żarska Wieś (German: Florsdorf, formerly also Florensdorf or Floriansdorf) lies in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, within Zgorzelec County, Poland. It is situated near the Nysa Łużycka (Neisse River), a few kilometers south of the city of Zgorzelec (Görlitz), in an area that once formed part of the historical region of Upper Lusatia.
The origins of Florsdorf date to the period of German eastward settlement (Ostsiedlung), when new villages were established by colonists under local lords. The name Floriansdorff first appeared in records from 1390, deriving from the personal name “Florian.” Over the following centuries, the settlement remained a modest agricultural community, with its fortunes tied to the surrounding estates.
After the Silesian Wars (1740–1763), the area passed to Prussia and remained within the district of Schweidnitz until 1945. Following the Second World War, Florsdorf became part of Poland and was renamed Żarska Wieś. The original German population was expelled, and new settlers, many from former Polish territories east of the Bug River, moved in.
Early History and the Gehler Family (17th–18th Century)
The estate of Florsdorf first entered prominence in 1689, when it came into the possession of Johann Wilhelm Gehler (1649–1713), a member of a distinguished Görlitz family. His father, Bartholomäus Gehler (1601–1671), had served multiple terms as mayor of Görlitz between 1639 and 1670. Johann Wilhelm followed in his father’s footsteps, holding the same office repeatedly in the early 18th century. In recognition of their civic service, Emperor Ferdinand III raised the family to the Bohemian nobility in 1652, though the Gehlers declined to adopt the “von” in their name.
In 1713, the estate passed to Johann Bartholomäus Gehler (1701–1756), who, at only twelve years of age, inherited the property and later rebuilt it into the form largely preserved today. Around 1739–1740, he commissioned the construction of Schloss Florsdorf, using remnants of an earlier manor house. The master mason Samuel Sudert and carpenter Peter Wiedemann, both from Görlitz, oversaw the work.
Architecturally, Schloss Florsdorf was a three-winged Baroque complex, enclosing a small courtyard that once opened toward the main farmyard. The two-story building stood on a rectangular plan with a six-story tower rising at the rear, facing what was once a landscaped park. The façades were articulated by pilaster strips and cornices, with basket-arched portals framed by stone architraves.
A sandstone plaque, long since removed, recorded the date of construction and the name of its founder:
“Diesen Thurm und Wirthschaffts Haus erbaute durch göttlichen Seegen Johann Bartholomaeus Gehler auf Sohr Neundorff und Florsdorf und vollendete den Bau MDCCXL. Gott nehme solches in seinen Schutz und erhalte es.”
Translated into English
“This tower and manor house were built through divine blessing by Johann Bartholomaeus Gehler of Sohr Neundorff and Florsdorf and he completed the construction in 1740. May God take this under His protection and preserve it.”
The tower, crowned with a curved cupola roof and lantern, featured a ground-floor arcade that opened toward both the courtyard and the sides. Above it lay a loggia with sundials once mounted on its walls. Inside, the vaulted ground floor originally housed stables and storage rooms, while the upper story contained living quarters for estate staff. Despite its representative appearance, the palace functioned primarily as the administrative and economic center of the estate rather than a permanent noble residence.
Later Ownership (19th–20th Century)
The Gehler family retained ownership of Florsdorf until 1803, when Friederike Caroline von Roy, née Gehler, died. Thereafter, the property passed through a succession of owners, including Heinrich August von Globig, a Saxon chamberlain, who sold the estate in 1874 to Otto Schaeffer, a landowner and representative for the Görlitz and Lauban districts in the Prussian Landtag. Schaeffer modernized the estate, renovating both the palace and its outbuildings, and transformed the surrounding farmland into a productive operation.
By the early 20th century, ownership had passed to his son Paul Schaeffer and subsequently to Paul’s widow Johanna Schaeffer (née Fünfstück). The last pre-war owner was Hans-Helmut Schaeffer, who managed the property until the family was expelled in 1945–1946 following the post-war border changes.
During this period, minor architectural alterations were made, including the addition of a small staircase projection and repairs to the roof. The overall form of the 18th-century structure, however, remained intact.
Schloss Florsdorf : A cultural (war) storage (1940s)
In the final months of the Second World War, Schloss Florsdorf played a brief but significant role in protecting works of art evacuated from nearby Görlitz. According to postwar research by Józef Gębczak (2000), the palace was used to store medieval sculptures, paintings, church textiles, and approximately 17,000 books from the Milich Library in Görlitz. These cultural assets were hidden in several rooms of the palace to safeguard them from air raids and potential looting.
However, in the spring of 1945, Soviet troops entered the area. The palace was subsequently plundered, leaving its interiors heavily damaged. The majority of the stored valuables disappeared, though records show that some of the books and manuscripts had been moved to the some universities across Poland.
The works share a similar fate to that of the infamous “Berlinka” – a large portion of the Prussian State Library (including original notes and scores by Mozart and Beethoven) that was taken into possession by Polish authorities after the war.
Its existence was kept a secret until the mid 1970s, and is a continued source of dispute between the german Authorities which deem it as looted cultural history, while the polish authorities claim it as war compensation.
The letter above – an enquiry to the academic library of Görlitz about 3 books/manuscripts – reveals two interesting details in just one sentence. One of the books – which had either been stored in Florsdorf or Krobnitz – is described as a “Verlagerungsverlust” (“relocation loss”) and that it can now be found in the University of Wroclaw. Through the wonders of the internet and digitalisation, you can now look at the 12th century book online that the Professor was looking for over 30 years ago. Conveniently.
Schloss Florsdorf: Video Walkthrough
Post-war Period and Decline (1945–2020)
After 1945, Schloss Florsdorf was incorporated into a Polish State Agricultural Farm (Państwowe Gospodarstwo Rolne, PGR). The building served various utilitarian purposes, including storage and housing for workers. The surrounding park fell into neglect, and the auxiliary buildings were gradually demolished. By the late 20th century, the structure was already in serious disrepair.
Following the fall of communism, the property was privatised. Despite formal recognition of its historical value, no substantial restoration followed. The palace changed hands several times and was occasionally listed for sale, including offers in 2020 that included the remaining farm buildings, the massive lake – which was once a public bath/swimming spot, and 12 hectares of land. Prospective plans to convert it into a hotel or guesthouse never materialized.
Schloss Florsdorf Today (2025)
Like so many former Prussian estates across the Oder river, Schloss Florsdorf has been left in an absolute terrible state. The polish authorities seem to find little value in the heritage that they acquired. The baroque estate has been looted of everything valuable over the years, with thieves even trying to (partially successfully) steal the sundials on the tower above the main entrance.
Over the years more and more of the castle has collapsed – specifically the roof. Its an extremely sad development, especially because you can still find older photos online from a decade or so ago where the castle didnt look “that” bad, especially the hip-roof. Its highly doubtful that anything meaningful will happen to this estate in the near future, and it will most likely end up like its nearby neighbour – Schloss Hennersdorf.
As is so often the case, locals have been illegally dumping their trash here, and seemingly only a family of foxes feels comfortable enough at the moment to make this place their own.
The area surrounding Schloss Florsdorf is quite interesting, as some of the other older buildings that used to make up the village around the Schloss still exist (in various states of upkeep), and give an small impression of what the area used to look like.
Schloss Florsdorf Address
Address: Żarska Wieś 28, 59-900 Żarska Wieś, Poland
Geo Coordinates: 51.19226167342208, 15.100960283705321
