When looking at the beautiful Quadrille Palace, one may not be aware of how deep into the past its history goes. Today we would like to tell you a little about it.
It is not known in what period the first court building was constructed, but it is certain that the present palace was built on the foundations of an older building whose roots go back to the Middle Ages. It is believed that there was a noble seat here as early as the 14th century.
In the 18th century, the chateau and its associated buildings also changed with the development of the village. The biggest changes were introduced to the estate by the noble family von Krockow, who owned the estate from 1730. It was they who built the Baroque-Rococo manor house with the palace facing north-east and an extensive park with partly adapted existing vegetation. In addition, a large number of deciduous trees and yew trees were planted, arranging for recreational purposes the nearby water reservoirs. At the end of the 18th century, an octagonal birdhouse was built in the park. The palace survived in this condition for more than 100 years.
In 1847, the estate was purchased by Baron Wilhelm von Brauchitsch - a Danzig landrat, higher regency councillor and secret councillor in Koszalin. Immediately after the purchase, radical reconstruction of the building began - the façade acquired the very popular English neo-Gothic design of the time. Above the entrance from the park, the von Brauchitsch family coat of arms, depicting a leaping deer, has been preserved to this day. In addition, the earlier baroque park with its ornate French parterres, garden lounge, fountain and animal house was reworked into an English park with extensive viewing axes. A picturesque glade, a free arrangement of paths, two ponds and a water channel completed this romantic landscape.
Until 1918, the manor remained in the hands of the Brauchitsch family and their heirs. In the 1920s the Polish government bought the estate and sold it to Juliusz Jewelowski, a senator of the Free City of Gdansk, who a few years later decided to parcel out and sell most of the land he owned (400 hectares) for housing development. The truncated estate passed in the 1930s to the Society of Secondary and Higher School Teachers in Warsaw, then the palace was given to the Polish Teachers' Union, which used the building until 1939.
During the Second World War, a Gestapo unit was stationed in the palace. The building survived the war effort in good condition, and in 1946 it was entered in the register of historical monuments. In the post-war period, for nearly 60 years, the First High School in Gdynia functioned here.
The 21st century and the latest chapter in the palace's history has begun - in November 2006, Przedsiębiorstwo Budowlane Górski took over the historic manor house and initially sublet it to the Gdynia Film School, which took its first steps here. Subsequently, the building underwent extensive renovation, transforming it into a luxury accommodation facility and conference and training centre. In addition, a new Oficyna building was constructed right next to the Palace, with 21 business-class rooms on the upper floors. The lower level, meanwhile, houses a relaxation area with a swimming pool, massage salons, jacuzzi and saunas. The two buildings were connected by an underground corridor. A 2-hectare park was also revitalised as part of the project. A new network of paths, small architectural features, atmospheric lighting and a striking fountain were added. The pond, a characteristic element of the site, also underwent a complete metamorphosis.
Over the many years of the palace's existence, owners and users have changed, but the inscription above the main entrance 'Semper Idem' saying 'Always the same' still seems to be in place.