GPM 0987 BĘDZIN - ZAMEK KAZIMIERZOWSKI

The castle in Będzin (Lesser Poland Voivodeship) was erected in the 14th century, during the reign of Casimir III the Great as an element of the so-called Eagles' Nests, i.e. castles guarding the borders of the Kingdom of Poland, most of which were built in Lesser Poland. The roots of the preserved stronghold date back to the 9th century, when a wooden stronghold was built in the same place, most likely belonging to the Vistula tribe. In the second half of the thirteenth century, probably on the orders of Bolesław the Chaste, a stone tower (bergfried) was erected, which has survived to this day and also became the basis of a new castle built during the reign of Casimir the Great. The Kazimierz fortifications consisted of two main elements: the so-called the upper castle, surrounded by two rings of walls and the so-called the lower castle with an entrance gate from the north. Most likely the castle was built in the 30s or 40s of the 14th century, because the first burgrave of the Będzin castle (named Wiernko) is certified in sources for 1349. The castle in the Middle Ages played an important military function, but it decreased in the modern era. In 1616, the castle burnt down, and despite its reconstruction, it was again destroyed during the Swedish Deluge (1655-1660). After 1660, some successful reconstruction attempts were made. The present shape of the castle was largely influenced by the reconstruction works in the years 1952-1956.