The first records testifying the existence of this hunting residence date back to the 16th Century. At the dawn of the next century the estate was owned by the Mayor, Bartłomiej Schachmann, and from 1630 it was a property of another Mayor, Jan Czirenberg. It is to him that the residence owes its prime. The park became scattered with numerous streams, cascades, viewing points, and labyrinths. Rare tree and bush species were planted and impressive sculptures were placed all around. The manor welcomed Gdańsk’s cream of society, including patricians, scholars, and renowned artists. The most distinguished of the residence’s guests was King Augustus II the Strong himself, who stayed here in 1698. At the time the property belonged to a rich vessel operator, Albrecht Groddeck. In the times of the Groddecks, the estate in Orunia was also visited by Johann Bernoulli, a famous mathematician. The Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th Century turned the park and the manor into a ruin.
The next host, a commercial counsellor from Gdańsk, Friedrich August Hoene, rebuilt the manor, endowing it with Neoclassical features. He also put the park in order, restoring its former glamour only to some extent. Nowadays, the building houses a kindergarten and the park enjoys popularity among the residents of Gdańsk seeking some leisure.
Foto: R.Baranowski, Dep. Turystyki, UMWP
