The original Gothic stone castle in Bolków was built around the 13th century during the rule of the Silesian Piast, a side line of the Polish Piast dynasty. In 1348, Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg formally incorporated Silesia, where the Bolków Castle is located, into the Holy Roman Empire. In 1392 the stronghold became the property of the Czech kings. From that moment on, the castle - outside the sphere of influence of Polish rulers - changes owners, is besieged and expanded many times. During the Thirty Years' War, it was captured by the Swedes. At the beginning of the 18th century, it purchased by the nearby Cistercian Order, who renovated it and ruled it for over a hundred years. In 1810, the Bolków Castle was secularized and became the property of the Prussian state, falling into ruin.
