Ksiaz Castle History Part 1
Geography.
The Ksiaz Castle is located within the administrative boundries of the municipality of Wałbrych. It consists of farm buildings, garden and parks, and the palatial structure of the castle itself. A nearby road links Wałbrzych and Swiebodzice. From one of Wałbrzych's four train stations or main coach station, one can easily reach well-known places in the Vallyes of Kamienna Góra (Kotlina Kamiennagórska), Jelenia Góra (Kotlina Jeleniagórska), and Kłodzko (Kotlina Klodzka). The Czech border and the charmingrocky hill of the Broumov Upland (Broumovská Vrchovina) are not far away either. From Swiebozice there are convenient road connections to Wroclaw, Jelenia Góra, Bolków, Dzierzoniów. Jawor, and Legnica, towns of numerous historical monuments and rich histories.
History
As old legend have it, a long time ago, when the land was covered
by impenetrable forests, the only major stronghold in the vicinity
was Strzegom, which the Slavs then called Stragona. Life centered
around this strong hold. Also merchant caravans from distant Rome
travelled through Stragonain their search of precious amber. Once,
in the 10th century, a visitof the German Emperor, Henry I the
Fowler, was expected. To honour the , the burgrave decided toorganize
a tornament: the winner was to be knighted by the emperor himself
Frederick, one of the squires in the Strzegom stronghold, began
to ponder notonly how to win the tournament, but also what gift
he should present to the emperor. His family was not rich and
he could not count on foreign merchants to supply him with precious
fabrics or weppons which be an appropriate gift for the ruler.
In order tofree his mind from these burdensome thoughts, he decided
to go hunting in the local forest. While pursuing a fine deer,
he wandered deep into the woods. It grew dark, and Frederick decided
to stay overnight in the wilderness.Quickly he built a small shed
and made a fire to roast the deer and to keep away wild beasts.
In the morning, the rising sun woke him, and he decided to go
back to the fort. In order to extinguish the fire he began to
cover it with the black rocks hefound in the clearing around the
shed. Great was his surprise when he saw that the flames not only
did not go out but seemed flare up as though feeding on the black
rocks. Puzzled by this phenomenon, Frederick decided to take som
of those rocks with him to the fort and test there. Not only did
the rocks keep their wounderful properties, but they also supplied
the lodge with life-giving warmth. Frederick now knew what would
behis gift for the emperor. Then came the day of the emperor's
visit. During the great tournament, Frederick proved the best
and most skilful of all participants. After the tournament, time
came to present the emperor with gifts. Facing the monarch, victorious
Frederick handed Henry his game-bag filled with black rocks. The
emperor's courtiers were outrage and the burgrave took Frederick's
gift out of the emperor's hand and threw it into the open fire
burning in the fireplace saying: 'How dare you offend His Majesty?'
But in a moment they were all stunned by a miraculous phenomenon:
the fireplace became as bright as the sun, and the people gathered
in the hall were hit by a wave of heat. The emperor rose and said:
'Truly, Frederick yours is the only gift fit for the emperor.
It is not only a wealth but also a blessing. therefor I will knight
you and give you the name of frunkenstien, of Spark Rocks. You
shall leave this fort and find a location in the vicinity. There
you shall build a stronghold to guard this treasure,'According
to legend, this happened in the year 933.
Apart from the old legend about the foundation of the Ksiaz Castel, the firts historically attested reference to the castle pertains to its renovation and expansion in 1288 - 1291 by Duke Boleslaus I, who in the late 13th century founded many fortifications along the Bohemain border. At that time the castle was called Fürstenberg (Ducal Hill). Nearly a century later, when the rule of the Piast dynasty was about to end, its name was changed to Fürstenstien (Ducal Stone). Until 1382, the castle remained in the hands of the dukes of Swidnica and Jawor. The duchy of Swidnica and Kawor remained loyal to the Polish kings Vladislav the short and Casimir the Great for the longest time. It was the last duchy to render homage to the Crown of Bohemia. Its last ruler , Bolko II, was the son of Duke Bernard of Swidnica an Kunegunda, the daughter of Vladislav the short. At that time, the stronghold consisted of two parts: the Lower Castle, surrounded by fortified walls, and the main or Upper Castle, with a connecting gate between them. The upper court was separated from the lower court by a dyke, a moat, and a wall. The Upper Castle consisted of a square stone kepp and several surrounding structures on different levels.