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History of the Farm

Pacółtowo (German Groβ Pötzdorf) is a small village beautifully situated among vast meadows and forests, gently undulating hills, near Dylewo Hills Landscape Park. Established in 1325, within Ostróda commandry, the village from the beginning was a base for local feudal lords. The palace and the park along with the administrative¬-inventory section, situated at the South-East frontiers of the village, luckily survived all the historical turmoil and wars in the region. Before 1945 the village had around 500 inhabitants, now it is closer to 200 people. The former Evangelical church situated in the center of the village remains only a picturesque ruin today. John Dorsius, a known pastor, author and Polish-evangelical preacher, taught in this church in the seventeenth century.
The estate in Pacółtowo changed ownership a few times. There was von Eppingen kinship and von Petzdorf kinship, which probably gave the name to the village. The longest, during the years 1603-1791, was the family property owners von Wernsdorf. In the absence of an heir the assets at the end of the eighteenth century began to decline, and only when relatives of von Wernsdorf family sold the estate to Ahasverus von Brandt, a significant bloom of the Pacółtowo took place.

The area of land ownership increased and four farms worked for it, and most of all, in 1794, a brick palace was built. Von Brandt kinship, in spite of good governance, were property owners not for long – for less than 40 years. In 1830 the property had new owners – the Volprecht family, whose ancestors stayed in Pacółtowo until 1945.In the early twentieth century, the area of land ownership was almost 600 acres and it specialized in breeding of Dutch cattle. Also there was an operating distillery. After World War II Pacółtowo land assets were taken over by the State Land Estate, which was the nucleus for formation State Farms in 1949. On the partly desolate area population from current Mazowieckie Province (specifically from Mława, Ciechanów) and repatriates from Eastern Poland was sent. Newcomers formed crews at the new state farms. Intermingling of different cultures and traditions created various problems related to the integration of local communities. Some of them make themselves known even today. Property in Pacółtowo specialized in the production of pigs and dairy cattle. State Farm in Pacółtowo functioned in different organizational configurations until 1991, when all state ownership of farms in Poland was liquidated. The land was taken over by the Agricultural Property Agency of the State Treasury. Then there was a period of rapid decline of the farm value and its assets (after decades of mistakes and misjudged policies typical of state-governed agriculture) - or, one can say, the farm, for the first time since almost 50 years, was valuated in real money and this was a painful process. The equipment was largely sold, livestock liquidated, significant depreciation of buildings took place.

In April 2000 a company from Gdańsk purchased the farm. Slow rebuilding of the destroyed property started to take place. Livestock buildings and the palace were renovated. New owners started breeding Charolaise cattle based on material imported from France, and later expanded the stock-farming by the Limousine breed also imported from France. Much work was made to bring the agricultural land in Pacółtowo to as best shape as possible. In 2008 Pacółtowo farm was acquired by the current owner - us. From then on the real progress took place. The organization of agricultural production was completely changed. The entire manufacturing agricultural section was transferred to the former heifers ranch, where two barns for cattle were built and the old buildings were renovated. The palace and the former farm buildings will create recreational and leisure complex. At present, the pearl of Pacółtowo property definitely is the beautifully restored neo-baroque style palace.
 

 
 
 
 
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