Early period (13th-18th centuries) The
Old Palace has been built on the site of a former knight's court (13th century). The name
Ostromezk, that is, Ostromecko, appeared for the first time in 1222 in a document signed by
Duke Konrad of Mazovia. The latter invited the
Teutonic Order to help him in his fight against the pagan
Prussian tribes. As a consequence, Ostromecko was owned by Teutonic knights from 1231 to 1475, a few years after the
Second Peace of Toruń (1466). At the end of the Teutonic period, the
manor house was owned by the
Ostromęcki family from
Pomian nobility. They later changed their name to
Ostromecki. The family administered the neighbouring domains: The Ostromęcki family also owned
folwarks and
Nowy Dwór estate, connected to Ostromecko, with land,
windmills, craft workshops and livestock (sheep). it was a one-story brick mansion with eight rooms and three cellars, surrounded by an Italian garden. The village comprised a farm with
granaries,
stables, a sheepfold,
fish ponds,
wind and
watermill, a
brewery, a distillery, a
brickyard and an
inn. In 1748, the estates of Ostromec and Masovia were bequeathed to Paweł Michał Mostowski Dołęga (1721–1781), voivode of Pomerania (1758–1763) and known for his ambitious and lavish life. This new palace replaced an unfinished
town hall that Paweł Mostowski started to erect in 1760. Gottlieb Marcin Vertraugott von Schönborn (1826–1874), heir to the estate, transformed in 1844 the Ostromecko domain into a family property. A member of the
Polish landed gentry, he invested in agricultural and processing production, construction and land afforestation. Between 1858 and 1861, an Evangelical Church (
Saint Paul) was erected in the vicinity of the New Palace: it has been demolished in 1957. In addition, the road from Strzyżawa to
Dąbrowa Chełmińska was laid (1853–1856), was granted in 1904, by the emperor a hereditary seat in the
Prussian House of Lords and was designated
imperial adviser on the centenary of the takeover of Ostromecko estate from Polish hands. as well as an automobile club. He even represented Poland in a motorcycle race in 1929 in
Barcelona. and it was planned to transform it into a regional cultural centre. Thanks to the initiative and passion of
Andrzej Szwalbe, then director of the Pomeranian Philharmonic, the
Old Palace received a collection of contemporary Polish paintings and graphics, as well as 50 historic upright and grand pianos. Additionally, valuable books, reprints of old works, mainly about the
Age of Enlightenment moved there. From 1985 to 1989, exhibitions and concerts in the
Old Palace took place, welcoming, among others,
Tadeusz Brzozowski,
Krzysztof Penderecki,
Henryk Górecki,
Halina Czerny-Stefańska,
Regina Smendzianka and many artists of international renown. In 1986, renovation works in the palace as well as in the park were carried out. On October 15, 1987, the
Ostromecko Foundation was endorsed by
Aleksander Krawczuk, then Minister of Culture: it allowed funds collection for the general overhaul of the facility. At the end of the 1980s, Aleksander and Adam Pietrzak designed the program and spatial concept of Ostromecko: • a painting gallery and the piano museum in the
Old Palace; • a restaurant, café and hotel in the
New Palace; • recreation and relaxation facilities in the park. On May 6–9, 1990, at the ''Ostromecko Foundation's'' initiative, the complex welcomed Count Ludolf von Alvensleben, the last landlord of the Ostromecko estate; he came a second time in 1996, a few months before his demise. The Count donated 6 paintings from his own collection to the facility. From the 1990s onwards, piano and vocal recitals together with chamber concerts have been organized in the
Old Palace. During this period, the
New Palace has been refurbished. In 1992, the
Bydgoszcz Voivodeship took ownership of the park and the
New Palace. From 1993 to 1998 it housed an art school run by Andrzej Nowak and Janusz Hetman and then a TV production school
Szkoła Realizacji Telewizyjnych. In 1996, the City of Bydgoszcz purchased the
New Palace and the park, willing to develop a cultural and recreational centre for the city's inhabitants, in particular those living in the growing
Fordon district, facing Ostromecko on the other side of the Vistula. Since 2000, the
Municipal Cultural Centre in Bydgoszcz is administrating the ensemble on behalf of Bydgoszcz city. Starting from 1997, heavy restoration works have been carried out in the park, similarly from 2001 in the
New Palace, under the supervision of the provincial monuments
conservator: •
drainage and protection of the foundations; • new kitchen and storage facilities in the basement; • new ventilation and air conditioning; • renovated central heating and water supply; • marble floors laying; • windows replacement and new lighting was installed. As far as the
Old Palace is concerned, it has been owned from 2000 to 2008 by the
Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship Marshal's Office, before being bought by the city of
Bydgoszcz. It is handled by the Pomeranian Philharmonic. In the late 1990s,
Old Palace interiors have been revamped: • the kitchen was converted into a wine bar; • the ballroom renovated with
stuccoed
molding on the walls and ceilings; • other rooms were refurbished with specific features (banquet, gold, green). Since 1996, many cultural events have been held in the palace and the park, including: • music concerts (Bydgoszcz Symphony Orchestra, academic concerts, etc.); • theater performances; • art exhibitions; • artist
vernissages. The palaces hosted also balls, games, special events, meetings and scientific gatherings, political and social rallies, such as the
Obiady czwartkowe () devoted to Bydgoszcz. The palace complex has been thoroughly revitalized as part of a two-stage project entitled "Ostromecko - the four seasons", between 2007 and 2011, thanks to a common funding shared by the city of Bydgoszcz and the
European Regional Development Fund, for a total amount of 4 725 966.44
zlotys. In 2018, the terraces around the
New Palace, the drainage system, and the adjacent walls have been insulated and repaired. Moreover, part of the roof has been renovated, together with the northern pergola. Inside, additional renovation works have been performed (e.g. renovation of parquetry). ==Gallery==