Pławniowice

Pławniowice is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Rudziniec, within Gliwice County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland.

==History== thumb|left|Palace courtyard The village was first mentioned in 1317, when it was part of fragmented Piast-ruled Poland. Later on, it fell under the rule of the Bohemian Crown, thus becoming part of the Holy Roman Empire. The local manor was initially owned by local knights and then was part of a large fee tail estate which changed ownership numerous times. In the 16th century it became part of the Habsburg monarchy. In 1645, along with the Duchy of Opole, Pławniowice returned to Polish rule under the House of Vasa, and in 1666 it fell back to Habsburg-ruled Bohemia. The area was mostly a scenic woodland next to a large lake until 1737, when it was bought by a nobleman called Franz Wolfgang von Stechow. Following the Silesian Wars, the village was annexed by Prussia. In 1789 it passed through a marriage to the wealthy noble clan of the Ballestrems, who built a fairy tale palace between 1882 and 1884. Designed by Constantine Heidenreich, the palace is a three-wing structure in the architectural style of Dutch neo-mannerism. It is known for its "contrast in colour and texture between the red brick walls and ornamental stone edging". The roofs are adorned by various turrets, towers, dormers and needles of different shapes and sizes. Moreover, the palatial site is also adjacent to a carefully planned landscape park alongside a water canal. In 1861, the village had a population of 1,041.