People
Adolph Traugott von Gersdorf
An Enlightenment scholar from Upper Lusatia, owner of Pobiedna (Wigandsthal) and the Meffersdorf estate, who in 1803 began building a private observatory – Mon Plaisir.
People
Adolph Traugott von Gersdorf
We’re taking a look back at the region’s history and the people who shaped its scientific and cultural landscape. It’s a great opportunity for a trail, exhibitions and events.
The Enlightenment Upper Lusatia Astronomy
A learned gentleman from Unięcice
He was born on 20 March 1744 and died on 16 June 1807. He purchased Pobiedna – then known as Wigandsthal – together with the Meffersdorf estate in 1756, and between 1767 and 1768 he rebuilt the palace that had previously stood there into the form in which we know it today.
What did he do?
Meteorology, mineralogy, astronomy and experiments with electricity. He installed lightning conductors in Upper Lusatia. He walked in the mountains, carried out observations and kept extremely detailed diaries. He collected works of art and supported artists.
In 1779, he co-founded the Upper Lusatian Society of Sciences (Oberlausitzische Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften). Following Gersdorf’s death, he was entrusted with the care of Gersdorf’s collections, which were moved to Görlitz. The Society is still active today.
The Tower
Mon Plaisir was built in the former Neu Gersdorf between 1803 and 1804, about 1.5 km from the palace, as a private observatory for astronomical, natural history and topographical observations. Gersdorf employed craftsmen from Pobiedna to carry out the construction work – this was a form of relief work during the crisis. It was not for nothing that his subjects called him „the good lord of Meffersdorf”.
Gersdorf is buried in the cemetery in Pobiedna. The tower has outlived him by two centuries.
Historical research: Rafał Wróblewski, Leszek Bartnik (pobiedna.pl).