Tamsel
Encyclopedia
Schloss Tamsel is a significant historical estate in the Brandenburg
Neumark
region. The estate is located in what is today the small village of Dąbroszyn
, Poland, and consists of a manor house
, a church and a park. It was constructed in the late 17th century by Field Marshal
Hans Adam von Schöning
. His granddaughter, Luise Eleonore
, inherited the castle as a child of four and married Lieutenant-General
von Wreech at age 16.
The estate was closely associated during the 18th century with Frederick the Great. As Crown Prince
, Frederick was stationed by his father in Küstrin
, 5 km south-east of Tamsel along the Oder river. Between August 1731 and February 1732, the Prince was a guest at Tamsel, and became clearly infatuated with the 24-year-old Frau von Wreech shortly before his reluctant marriage. In his letters, the Prince referred to Tamsel as 'Calypso
's island'
25 years later, after a nearby battle Battle of Zorndorf
with Russian forces on 30 August 1758, King Frederick visited Tamsel once again. The estate had been looted and burned, and several children and teachers killed.
In May 1840, on the hundred-year anniversary of Frederick II's ascension to the throne, a statue was erected in the park to honour the King and his ties to Tamsel. The statue is a replica of Christian Daniel Rauch
's "Victoria" and the pedestal is inscribed with the text of Jeremiah
3:27: "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth."
After the last of the male Wreeches died without heirs, the castle passed into the ownership of a daughter of Luise Eleonore, who married Count Doenhoff. In 1945 the castle was briefly the headquarters of the Soviet Marshal
Georgy Zhukov
. The estate was largely spared damage during the Second World War, and EU
funding in the late 1990s has been used for its partial restoration. The building is today partially empty, with areas used for a Kindergarten
and lending library
.
Theodor Fontane
devotes a chapter to the estate and chapel in his Walks through the March of Brandenburg, Vol II "Oderland".
Hans Bentzien's My blackbird sings in Tamsel is a small illustrated volume, providing a history of Brandenburg and Tamsel.
and his wife. To the left is a marble bust of their son (Johann Ludwig von Schöning, 1675–1713).
Hans Adam von Schöning's large, copper coffin is also held in the chapel. It is decorated with a golden (or silver) crucifix and the family emblem, and the walls are decorated with flags inscribed:
Other notable coffins are those of Wreech's wife Eleonore Luise, who died at age 60, and of her sons, Friedrich Wilhelm von Wreich and Ludwig Graf von Wreich, the last two Wreeches.
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
Neumark
Neumark
Neumark comprised a region of the Prussian province of Brandenburg, Germany.Neumark may also refer to:* Neumark, Thuringia* Neumark, Saxony* Neumark * Nowe Miasto Lubawskie or Neumark, a town in Poland, situated at river Drwęca...
region. The estate is located in what is today the small village of Dąbroszyn
Dabroszyn, Lubusz Voivodeship
Dąbroszyn is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Witnica, within Gorzów County, Lubusz Voivodeship, in western Poland...
, Poland, and consists of a manor house
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
, a church and a park. It was constructed in the late 17th century by Field Marshal
Field Marshal
Field Marshal is a military rank. Traditionally, it is the highest military rank in an army.-Etymology:The origin of the rank of field marshal dates to the early Middle Ages, originally meaning the keeper of the king's horses , from the time of the early Frankish kings.-Usage and hierarchical...
Hans Adam von Schöning
Hans Adam von Schöning
Hans Adam von Schöning was a Generalfeldmarschall in the service of Brandenburg-Prussia and the Electorate of Saxony.Schöning was born at Tamsel near Küstrin in the Margraviate of Brandenburg...
. His granddaughter, Luise Eleonore
Luise Eleonore Wreech
Luise Eleonore von Wreech was a Prussian noblewomen. Born Luise Eleonore von Schöning, she was the daughter of Hans Ludwig Schöning and granddaughter of Hans Adam von Schöning and and heiress of Castle Tamsel...
, inherited the castle as a child of four and married Lieutenant-General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
von Wreech at age 16.
The estate was closely associated during the 18th century with Frederick the Great. As Crown Prince
Crown Prince
A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
, Frederick was stationed by his father in Küstrin
Küstrin
Before 1945 Küstrin was a town in the former Prussian province of Brandenburg in Germany, situated on both sides of the Oder river...
, 5 km south-east of Tamsel along the Oder river. Between August 1731 and February 1732, the Prince was a guest at Tamsel, and became clearly infatuated with the 24-year-old Frau von Wreech shortly before his reluctant marriage. In his letters, the Prince referred to Tamsel as 'Calypso
Calypso (mythology)
Calypso was a nymph in Greek mythology, who lived on the island of Ogygia, where she detained Odysseus for a number of years. She is generally said to be the daughter of the Titan Atlas....
's island'
25 years later, after a nearby battle Battle of Zorndorf
Battle of Zorndorf
The Battle of Zorndorf was a battle fought on August 25, 1758 during the Seven Years' War, fought between the forces of the Russians troops under the command of Count William Fermor – and a Prussian army under King Frederick the Great...
with Russian forces on 30 August 1758, King Frederick visited Tamsel once again. The estate had been looted and burned, and several children and teachers killed.
In May 1840, on the hundred-year anniversary of Frederick II's ascension to the throne, a statue was erected in the park to honour the King and his ties to Tamsel. The statue is a replica of Christian Daniel Rauch
Christian Daniel Rauch
Christian Daniel Rauch was a German sculptor. He founded the Berlin school of sculpture, and was the foremost German sculptor of the 19th century.-Biography:Rauch was born at Arolsen in the Principality of Waldeck...
's "Victoria" and the pedestal is inscribed with the text of Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
3:27: "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth."
After the last of the male Wreeches died without heirs, the castle passed into the ownership of a daughter of Luise Eleonore, who married Count Doenhoff. In 1945 the castle was briefly the headquarters of the Soviet Marshal
Marshal of the Soviet Union
Marshal of the Soviet Union was the de facto highest military rank of the Soviet Union. ....
Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...
. The estate was largely spared damage during the Second World War, and EU
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
funding in the late 1990s has been used for its partial restoration. The building is today partially empty, with areas used for a Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and lending library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
.
Theodor Fontane
Theodor Fontane
Theodor Fontane was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist writer.-Youth:Fontane was born in Neuruppin into a Huguenot family. At the age of sixteen he was apprenticed to an apothecary, his father's profession. He became an...
devotes a chapter to the estate and chapel in his Walks through the March of Brandenburg, Vol II "Oderland".
Hans Bentzien's My blackbird sings in Tamsel is a small illustrated volume, providing a history of Brandenburg and Tamsel.
Tamsel Chapel
The estate's chapel incorporates a Hall of Fame for Schöning, with its left transept holding statues, arms, and trophies. A double niche there hosts large stone statues of Field Marshal Hans Adam von SchöningHans Adam von Schöning
Hans Adam von Schöning was a Generalfeldmarschall in the service of Brandenburg-Prussia and the Electorate of Saxony.Schöning was born at Tamsel near Küstrin in the Margraviate of Brandenburg...
and his wife. To the left is a marble bust of their son (Johann Ludwig von Schöning, 1675–1713).
Hans Adam von Schöning's large, copper coffin is also held in the chapel. It is decorated with a golden (or silver) crucifix and the family emblem, and the walls are decorated with flags inscribed:
Der hochwohlgeborene Herr, Herr Hans Adam von Schöning auf Tamsel, Warnick, Birkholz, Churf. Sächs. wohlbestallt gewesener General-Feldmarschall, wirklich Geheimer und Geheimer Kriegsrath, Obrister der Leibgarde zu Fuß, wie auch über ein Regiment Cürassiers und ein Regiment Dragoners, ward geboren zu Tamsel den 1. Oktober 1641, starb selig zu Dresden, den 28. August 1696.
The honorable gentleman, Mr. Hans Adam von Schöning on Tamsel, Warnick, Birkholz, Churf. Saxon. comfortably installed before in the General Field Marshal, and Privy council Privy really, colonel of the Guards on foot, as well as a regiment and a regiment of dragoon Cürassiers, was born to the first Tamsel October 1641, died blessed to Dresden, 28 August 1696th.
Other notable coffins are those of Wreech's wife Eleonore Luise, who died at age 60, and of her sons, Friedrich Wilhelm von Wreich and Ludwig Graf von Wreich, the last two Wreeches.
See also
- http://www.dabroszyn.pl
- http://prussianpoland.com/tamsel.html
- http://www.bernd-thiel.de/tamsel.htm
- http://www.zlb.de/digitalesammlungen/SammlungDuncker/06/360%20Tamsel.pdf