Polish family seeks return of old royal palace

By Gabriela Baczynska

WARSAW (Reuters) - A campaign by heirs of Polish aristocrats to recover a palace seized by the communists has exposed Poland's continued failure to resolve the restitution of property to former owners after two decades of democracy.

The Branicki family says it has now decided to demand the return of the entire estate at Wilanow Palace, not just family heirlooms and archives as previously planned, due to frustration over lack of progress in a legal battle dating back to 1990.

The baroque palace of Wilanow, situated in a rolling green park in a southern suburb of Warsaw and now a museum, has been dubbed "the Polish Versailles." It was built in the late 17th century by the Polish king Jan III Sobieski.

"We dream of returning to our home which was taken from us unlawfully by the communists. They took everything from us, including family heirlooms," said Adam Rybinski, grandson of Adam Branicki, the last pre-World War Two owner of the estate.

"We have been frustrated by the lack of cooperation from the government. The Ministry of Culture was not willing to seek a compromise with us, so we recently decided to file for return of the whole of the property," Rybinski told Reuters this week.

However, the director of the Wilanow Museum said the palace was an important part of Poland's national heritage and should remain in public hands to ensure continuity of its rich art collection and to preserve its educational mission.

"This is a special place for Poland's... cultural identity. We cannot take the risk that some of it may be sold off if in private hands. Unlike private businesses, museums worldwide are not profit-seeking institutions," Pawel Jaskanis said.

"The Branickis' lawsuit encompasses all the assets, that is some 6,000 objects, the library and the estate of about 90 hectares, including the palace," Jaskanis said.