Warsaw. Only the foundations remain of the historic manor house in Wyczółki. The prosecutor's office is looking into the case

The prosecutor's office is conducting two proceedings regarding the demolition of a 19th-century manor house in Warsaw's Wyczółki district. The first concerns the destruction of a monument, and the second concerns the abuse of powers by a public official in connection with the decision of the Masovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments.

Ursynów councilor Paweł Lenarczyk (Otwarty Ursynów) informed about the fact that only the foundations remained of the historic manor house in Wyczółki. – This manor no longer exists. There was a monument and there is no monument. And what's worse, it may be that it all happened in accordance with the law – said the councilor in October last year.

Audit of a conservator of monuments

There were doubts as to whether the manor was demolished legally. Therefore, Marcin Dawidowicz, Masovian Voivodeship Conservator of Monuments, ordered conducting an audit on the property. “The inspection activities carried out confirmed that few elements of the building's original structure and its finishing remained on the construction site,” MWKZ confirmed in a statement.

He noted that the possibility of demolishing the manor, assuming its eventual reconstruction, was included in the decision of June 24, 2022, issued by the then MWKZ Jakub Lewicki. He added that at the same time – despite the conditions contained in the decision – the owner did not inform the monument protection authorities about the commencement of the demolition of the building and disposed of most of the original building substance of the manor without appropriate arrangements.

In turn, an internal audit conducted at the office after the change in the position of conservator showed that in the years 2017-2024, permits were issued for the demolition of buildings listed in the register of monuments, which is inconsistent with applicable law.

The historic manor house in Wyczółki was demolished

Two investigations by the prosecutor's office

Recently, the mayor of Ursynów, Robert Kempa, returned to the issue of the demolished monument. He announced on social media that the conservator of monuments had submitted a notification to the prosecutor's office about the possibility of committing a crime.

Now we learn from the spokesman of the District Prosecutor's Office in Warsaw, Piotr Skiba, that two investigations are being conducted in the case.

The first concerns “on June 24, 2022, the abuse of powers by a public official in connection with the issuance of the decision of the Masovian Provincial Conservator of Monuments (…) regarding the revalorization and renovation of the wooden manor house at ul. Łączyny 53 in Wyczółki, which was to the detriment of the public interest “. This is an act under Article 231 of the Penal Code.

In the second, the prosecutor's office is examining the demolition of the monument, which took place “on an unspecified date, no later than October 12, 2024.” Pursuant to Article 108, paragraph one of the Act on the Protection of Monuments, anyone who destroys or damages a monument shall be subject to imprisonment from six months to eight years.

– The investigation is currently underway. The commission was to interview witnesses and obtain documentation related to the monument in question. The proceedings are at the initial stage of collecting evidence, said prosecutor Skiba.

Currently, no works are being carried out on the property. What remains of the manor house is fenced off. You can see signs stating that entry to the construction site is prohibited.

The history of the manor house in Wyczółki

The wooden manor house in Wyczółki Park was built in 1805 for the castellan Franciszek Krotkowski, who owned the Wyczółki estate. It passed from hand to hand, and from 1842 it belonged to Fryderyk Skarbek. His mother was the owner of the village of Żelazowa Wola, where Fryderyk Chopin was born. Fryderyk Skarbek was the composer's godfather.

Then the property was taken over by the following families: Grabowski, Żukowski, Berensewicz. Nearby ponds were named after Berensewicz. After the war, the manor was taken over by the state. Plans for its device were different. The area was to include, among others: a recreation center for employees of a nearby house factory. In 1965, the property and the surrounding park were added to the register of monuments.

In the 1990s, the heirs of the former owners came forward. This is how the manor fell into private hands. For many years no one lived there and it fell into ruin.

A ruined historic manor house in Ursynów