Finckenstein Palace

Photo of Schloss Finckenstein (1931)
Ruins of the palace (2011)
Persian Envoy Mirza Mohammad-Reza Qazvini meets with Napoleon to sign the Treaty of Finckenstein 27 April 1807 at Finckenstein Palace, by François Mulard.

Finckenstein Palace (German: Schloss Finckenstein; Polish: Pałac w Kamieńcu) is a ruined Baroque palace situated in the village of Kamieniec, about 25 mi. (40 km) south of Elbląg, in northern Poland. Formerly part of West Prussia, it was designed by the architect John von Collas and erected in the years 1716–1720 by Prussian Field Marshal, Marquess, and Count Albrecht Konrad Reinhold Finck von Finckenstein. It remained in the possession of the Finck von Finckenstein family until 1782.[1] After that the Counts Dohna-Schlobitten lived in it until 1945. Red Army soldiers set the palace on fire January 22, 1945, during their conquest of Prussia in World War II. The last owner/resident was Alfred (1917–1988), son of Hermann Dohna-Finckenstein (1894–1942).[2]

The palace became famous in 1807, when Napoleon made it his residence from April through June of that year. When he saw the palace for the first time, he said: Enfin un chateau ("Finally, a castle").[3] The Treaty of Finckenstein between France and Persia was signed here.[3] Here, Napoleon met his Polish mistress Maria Walewska, with whom he lived in the palace.[3] The Hollywood movie Conquest depicted the palace with Greta Garbo and Charles Boyer[4] but was actually filmed in Monterey, California.[5]

Palace ownership:[6]

# when owned name relation to previous owner years owned
1 1720-1735 Albrecht Konrad Finck von Finckenstein (1660-1735) - 15
2 1735-1741 Friedrich Wilhelm Finck von Finckenstein (1702-1741) son 6
3 1741-1782 Friedrich Ludwig Finck von Finckenstein (1709-1785) brother 41
4 1782-1825 Friedrich zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1741-1825) son-in-law 43
5 1825-1831 Alexander zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1771-1831) son 6
6 1831-1845 Wilhelm zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1773-1845) brother 14
7 1845-1850 Fabian zu Dohna-Schlobitten (1781-1850) brother 5
8 1850-1900 Rodrigo zu Dohna-Finckenstein (1815-1900) son 50
9 1900-1912 Georg zu Dohna-Finckenstein (1850-1912) nephew 12
10 1912-1929 Alfred zu Dohna-Finckenstein (1852-1929) brother 17
11 1929-1942 Hermann zu Dohna-Finckenstein (1894-1942) nephew 13
12 1942-1945 Alfred zu Dohna-Finckenstein (1917-1988) son 3
  1. ^ History of Fickenstein part 1 (in German)
  2. ^ History of Finckenstein part 6 (in German)
  3. ^ a b c History of Finckenstein part 4 (in German)
  4. ^ History of Finckenstein part 7 (in German)
  5. ^ "Conquest".
  6. ^ Christa Mühleisen, Teil 6: Napoleon + die Zeit bis 1945, [in:] Schloss Finckenstein im ehem. Kreis Rosenberg in Westpreußen