Pakoszow Palace

The Pakoszów Palace is a baroque-styled palace located nearby the Kamienna river, in the border of the town of Piechowice, in the dolnośląskie region.
It was built in 1725 for the order Johann Martin Gottfried, who was the mayor of Jelenia Góra at the time. In 1741, his widow got married again, and ther palace became owned by Georg Friedrich Smith.

Since the late medieval times, linen products were the most important products in the Jeleniogórska Valley economics. They were mostly crafted by peasants, women and children.

In 1630, Emperor Ferdynand II gave town right to Jelenia Góra, which was the reason of the quick economic development of the Jeleniogórska Valley. In 1638, the Chamber of Commerce was established.

The most important representant of the merchant aristocracy was Christian Menzel (1667-1748), who was one of the most wealthy people living in this town. Menzel was the one to give the most effort to build and finance the evangellic Church of Grace, which became one of the most beautiful churches in the Silesia. Additionally, he financed the creation of the organs, which you can still listen to today.

In the times of Heinrich and Erdmuthe Hes (1755-1808) the Palace was the meeting place for many intellectuals. It was visited by, among others:
Poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, painter from Karkonosze Sebastian Carl Christoph Reinhardt (1738-1827) and John Qunicy Adams, who would go on to be the presidernt of USA.

After the death of Heinrich Hess, the palace wass owned by his cousin, the adopted son of Johann Danierl Hess (1764-1854) who was working as a lawyer in Jelenia Góra and used the palace as his summer residence.
The last people living in the Palace were Margarethe Drewes from the house of Hess (1872-1939) with her husband and seven children.