1838
Marianne Orange-Nassau, Queen of the Netherlands, daughter of King William I of Orange of the Netherlands and his first wife Friedrich Louise of Prussia, first visited Kamenz Ząbkowice, which she inherited from her mother. Having decided to build a summer residence on its grounds, the same year the architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel prepares the first project of the palace for the princess. The builder also enlists the help of the young and talented Ferdinand Martius, whose work on the palace consumes him completely.
1839
In the spring of that year, construction began. The works were directed by Ferdinand Martius, Karl Schinkel supervised them from Berlin. By autumn, the ground floor walls, all pillars and columns in the chambers and a piece of the wall surrounding the building are ready.
1848
The construction of the palace is stopped by the divorce between Marianne and Albrecht. Due to the fact that the divorce was carried out in the atmosphere of a scandal, which was Marianne’s affair with Mastalier Johann von Rossum, she was forbidden to stay in Prussia for longer than 24 hours, with obligatory reporting to a police station at every entry and exit. A punishment of infamy was also imposed on her.
1853
Marianne visits Kamenz and orders work to be resumed. She hands the palace over to her son Friedrich Wilhelm Albrecht. She herself buys an estate in Bila Voda, 12 kilometres from Kamenets, so that she can visit the palace as often as possible and supervise the works.
1857
The construction of the fourth floor is completed and the first residents move into the palace. A grand ball is given to mark the occasion and Ferdinand Martius is specially honoured by Marianne.
8 V 1872
The statue of Nike, the goddess of victory, is unveiled on the hill behind the grotto. This marks the official completion of the construction of the palace after almost 33 years. The total cost of construction of the palace and park complex is 971 692 thalers. This is the equivalent of three tonnes of gold.
1883
Marianne of Orange dies. She is remembered as one of the most unconventional ladies of the 19th century who outlasted her era.
1945
The descendants of Marianna, who reside in the palace, evacuate the grounds of Kamenz because of the approaching Red Army. The Red Army took away numerous possessions, furnishings and works of art from the palace. A year later, the palace was consumed by fire and the residence became a ruin. Marble floors and columns were taken away to help rebuild the capital after the uprising. In the fifties the palace continued to be devastated.
1986
The property is leased for 40 years.
2012
After the lease contract expired, the palace returned under the direct management of the owner, i.e. the municipality of Kamieniec Ząbkowicki. The general condition of the complex was catastrophic.
2013
After intensive restoration and conservation work by the owner of the building, the palace was opened to tourists.
