Krieblowitz, the estate 20 km south-west of Breslau in Silesia which awarded to Blücher for services rendered in the Napoleonic Wars, was bought by a New Zealander recently who intends restoring the building and converting it into a hotel and conference centre.

When Silesia fell into Soviet hands in 1945, the German population was expelled and this until then prosperous province handed over to Polish administration. The Blücher family estate was allowed to go to rack and ruin, while the family tomb was desecrated. The building is in a poor state, and needs substantial sums spent on its restoration.

In a recent bid, a New Zealander was bought the building for $100,000. Several times that amount need to be spent on its restoration.

This is a curious situation. De facto, Silesia is now part of Poland. However, international law cannot recognise the expropriation of its population, so the estate is legally still in the possession of the Blücher family who were never allowed to return to it by the Polish authorities.

It has yet to be establish if the new owner has any plans to make Krieblowitz into an historical attraction. More news on that later.

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