Mir Castle Complex
The Mir Castle Complex (Belarusian: Мірскі замак, Łacinka: Mirski zamak, Lithuanian: Myriaus pilis, Polish: Zamek w Mirze) is a UNESCO World Heritage site in Belarus. It is in the town of Mir.
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Mir, Belarus |
| Criteria | Cultural: ii, iv |
| Reference | 625 |
| Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
| Area | 27 ha |
| Website | mirzamak |
| Coordinates | 53°27′4.46″N 26°28′22.80″E / 53.4512389°N 26.4730000°E |
  Location of Mir Castle Complex in Belarus | |
The building of the castle began at the end of the 15th century. It is in the Gothic architecture style. Building of the castle was completed by Duke Ilinich in the early 16th century. Around 1568 the Mir Castle was owned by Mikołaj Krzysztof "the Orphan" Radziwiłł. He finished building the castle in the Renaissance style. A three-storey palace was built along the eastern and northern walls of the castle.
After being not lived in for nearly a century, and having severe damage during the Napoleonic period, the castle was restored at the end of the 19th century. In 1813, after the death of Dominik Hieronim Radziwiłł, his daughter Stefania got the castle. She married Ludwig zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The castle later went to their daughter Maria, who married Prince Chlodwig Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst.
Their son, Maurice Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst sold the castle to Nikolai Sviatopolk-Mirski in 1895. Nikolaj's son Michail began to rebuild the castle according to the plans of architect Teodor Bursze. The Sviatopolk-Mirski family owned the castle up to 1939.
During WWII, it came under Nazi control. It was a ghetto for the local Jewish population. Between 1944 and 1956, the castle was used as a housing facility. This partly damaged the castle's inside.
In December, 2000, the Mir Castle was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
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