Piast Castle in Gliwice

“Medals available for purchase opposite the ticket counters!”

Piast Castle – one of the oldest buildings in the city. This Gothic structure, dating back to the 14th century, is linked to the construction of Gliwice’s defensive walls. The castle acquired its current form during a 16th-century reconstruction carried out by Friedrich Zettritz, then the leaseholder of the city. Over the following centuries, the building served various purposes—it was an arsenal, a prison, and even a farm. From the 16th century until 1945, it was known as the “Zettritz Court” (Zettritz Hof). After 1945, it was referred to as the “little castle,” and in 1983, it was officially named “Piast Castle.” Between 2005 and 2008, the castle underwent revitalization with funding from the European Union and the national budget as part of the Integrated Regional Development Operational Programme (ZPORR). The most important part of the project was the renovation and modernization of exhibition halls, along with the preparation of a permanent exhibition titled “Gliwice – A City of Many Cultures,” covering the prehistory of the Gliwice region and the city’s history.

Piast Castle houses two departments: archaeology and history. The exhibits include 17th- and 18th-century guild memorabilia, artifacts from the Silesian Uprisings and the plebiscite period, items related to the activities of the Union of Poles in Germany, and an extensive collection of photographs (19th and 20th centuries) documenting the city and Upper Silesian industrial sites. A notable attraction is the military collection, featuring weapons from feudal Japan—samurai armor and swords, as well as Chinese and Korean swords.

The archaeological collection includes the most valuable and extensive assortment of pottery, tools, and ornaments from excavations at the Lusatian culture cemetery in Świbie (Wielowieś commune). There are also medieval and early medieval finds from Gliwice’s Old Town, Tost Castle Hill, and the stronghold in Pławniowice. Additionally, the collection features numerous flint and stone tools from the Stone Age, as well as bronze and iron artifacts from the Lusatian culture.